


Legacy of the Past

by Uthizaar



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Ancient Egyptian Deities, Barebacking, Betrayal, Big Dicks, Bottom Jordan Parrish, Bottom Theo Raeken, Chimera Mythology, Chimeras, Condoms, Crime Scenes, Crushes, Dirty Talk, Double Dating, Dread Doctors - Freeform, Edging, Explicit Sexual Content, Federal Marshals, Fictional Religion & Theology, Frottage, Immortality, Investigations, Kissing, Lots of Cum, Lube, M/M, Masturbation, Multiple Crossovers, Multiple Orgasms, Murder, Muscles, Mutual Masturbation, Nice Theo Raeken, Overpowered Hero, POV Multiple, Pervy thoughts, Power Bottom Original Male Character, Power Dynamics, Revenge, Rimming, Scents & Smells, Secret Identity, Secrets, Top Corey Bryant, Top Jordan Parrish, Top Original Male Character, chimera pack, cover story, cum, old grudges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-11-07 17:53:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 54,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17965313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar
Summary: The Pathologist, an ancient secret, and the fury of the first chimeras to walk the Earth...As Theo, Corey, and Parrish continue to deal with the fallout from Mason’s rampage as a monstrous Werewolf Nogitsune, a stranger comes to Beacon Hills, following in the footsteps of one who was taken by the Dread Doctor known as the Pathologist. What secrets does he carry with him? The origins of all chimeras? The truth behind the Dread Doctors? The chance for Deputy Parrish to move on from his crush on Theo?!





	1. The Attention of Something Greater

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [An Eternity in Your Eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10398876) by [Uthizaar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar). 
  * Inspired by [Building a Better Chimera IV: Blood and Glory](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11739228) by [Uthizaar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar). 
  * Inspired by [Building a Better Chimera V: The Unholy Alliance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13571541) by [Uthizaar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar). 



> This story is set in the [An Eternity in Your Eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10398876) universe, which is itself an alternate universe of [The Awakening](https://archiveofourown.org/series/570973) series. I'll be bringing in lore and moments from each, but there is no requirement to have read both stories first. This will be self-contained to 7 chapters, but some of the story threads started here will be fed into Eternity. The focus of this story will primarily be on Connor, an OMC with some pretty unique chimera abilities and backstory! If you've read _Building a Better Chimera_ Parts III, IV, and V, you'll recognize him!
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Connor closed the patio doors to keep out the night air and then walked across the wooden floor to flick on the light switch, low pottery lamps beginning to glow around the room. His visitor nodded in gratitude, features normalizing as the shift from his chimera form lessened. “Better?”

“Reasonable.”

“Hmm, and what brings you to my residence so late this evening, Horus?” Connor gestured for him to sit down. “Perhaps you have heard the same whispers I have?”

“I do not think so.” Horus shook his head, sweeping his long, open jacket back to expose his bare chest, the richly embroidered folds of golden silk and patterned linen raised before he sat on the non-descript couch. “The whispers that I have heard tell of something else, someone else. Our erstwhile sister-in-arms, Bastet, she has gone missing, yes?”

“I know where she is.”

“Hmm.” The chimera snorted gently, clever eyes matching Connor’s own. “And do you know why she was where she was?”

“I think you know that answer too.” Connor replied, casting his eyes over Horus’ strong, noble face, charcoal dark eyes contrasting against his short, silver-gold hair. The chimera’s open jacket revealed his slender, if toned, chest and stomach, sun-kissed from many days spent under the ball of fire in the sky. Horus cleared his throat meaningfully and Connor shrugged apologetically. “Spend long enough among the youth and one finds oneself given over to too much pleasure of the flesh!”

“Another reason why I am content to spend my days in the desert.”

“In any case, Bastet was on a mission for me, we believed that finally we had found the traitor.” Connor rose abruptly and walked over to the glass patio door, seeing their smudged reflections against it. “It seems however, that he was prepared for us.”

“An unfortunate loss.” Horus stood up, staying behind him near the coffee table. “I assume that you are not thinking of going after the traitor? If he has captured Bastet, the most nimble of us all, then he will be able to threaten even you. Who knows what he might have learned in the long years since last you fought him?”

“I was hoping that you came to join me, old friend.” Connor glanced over his shoulder, his eyes hard. “But I see that you do not want to. This…man, this Pathologist, as he calls himself now, he is a threat not just to us and our ancient secrets, but to the entire world. Do not forget why we cast him out of the sacred temple.”

“As if I could forget that night.” Horus replied, his face hard. “Or what came before; we have all lost so much to that man and his monster.”

“Which is why I must find him, kill him once and for all.” Connor spoke quickly, a cold touch to his words. “The Pathologist is in a town called Beacon Hills, not more than five hour’s drive from here. Our advance outpost at Gold Mountain still stands, not used in some time, but it stands. We can muster the Guardians, take-”

“We are scattered across the world, Connor.” Horus approached him, reaching out to grip his shoulder and look meaningfully at him. “They will not return, not for vengeance, it has been too long.”

“You under-estimate the power of the oaths we took all those years ago. The Guardians will reunite, Beacon Hills has tasted the supremacy of the Overmind’s authority; I have felt it, even from here.” Connor moved away, walking over to the kitchen. “Long have I suspected that the traitor and his Doctors of Dread are responsible for the sacking of the sacred tomb at the Temple of Derr and the theft of the first Overmind. They have attempted to harness its awesome power and failed; but if the organ survives, we may yet find one who is worthy of becoming our master.”

“Hmm.” The Guardian shrugged half-heartedly. “That is…unlikely.”

“Do you doubt me? Do you think I would lie about this?” Connor whirled around, his eyes blazing with purple fire. “Horus?!”

“No, no, never.” Horus bowed his head low, his own eyes flaring in a mirror of the other chimera. “Not about this, but…there have been rumors, whispers, that your time among the humans has tainted you, changed your perspective.”

“Really?” Connor murmured, his muted rage fading.

“Well, your name.” He wetted his lips, continuing at a nod. “I don’t understand why you choose to use ‘Connor’ and not your original name, or even one of your many titles.”

“I like it. I like the way it sounds.” Connor smiled at him. “And it is my decision to call myself what I will, yes? Just like how it is my decision to pursue Bastet and the Pathologist, to gain our revenge, and stop his evil at last.”

“Of course, Primus.” Horus bowed low, stepping back as Connor moved around his supplicated figure. “I will let the others know, if the traitor is indeed here, I will convince them to come. It may take time, a week perhaps; Anubis is in Europe, Sobek somewhere in Asia, Taweret lingers in the rainforests of Brazil.”

“Good, I have played the part of teenager long enough.” The Guardian Primus looked at his reflection in a nearby mirror as Horus straightened up, watching him. Connor’s eyes flared purple again, a faint violet aura appearing around his body. His features began to age, raising him from youth to mid-twenties, the hint of a line across his brow, laughter crinkles around his eyes, the smoothing out of his skin, and added hint of sun-soaked complexion to make him look tan and healthy. Connor smiled at himself. “Much better!”

“You could have gone older, to middle-age,” Horus observed. “Give yourself more authority.”

“Humans tend to under-estimate and dismiss youth. It works for my purposes.”

“How pleasant it must be to manipulate one’s age; from elder to youth in the blink of an eye!” Horus sighed in mock jealousy. “Alas, I have few gifts in comparison!”

“You can fly, I’d say that is enough.” Connor laughed at him. “And you are already immortal and young! Who among us would ask to become withered and useless?”

“Your voice has deepened, good.” Horus reached into the bag that he had carried with him and produced a compact leather wallet. “I have what you asked for, as reluctant as I am to give it to you. And when this Sheriff Stilinski makes his call, I will receive it, verify your story.”

“Thank you.” Connor opened the patio doors as Horus replaced the badge into the sack and left it on the table. “Find the others, my Guardian; tell them the time has come to fulfil their oaths and finish what was started so long ago.”

“As you command, Primus.” Horus bowed again and then took off his jacket, tying it securely around his waist. “The Guardians remember their oaths, they remember who leads them.”

“I know.” Connor acknowledged him, their eyes blazing deep purple. “Glory to the Overmind!”

“Glory!” Horus replied sharply, before turning on his heel and walking out onto the patio. His appearance changed completely; handsome face replaced with an eagle’s head, golden plumage reaching down his neck until it melded with his skin, eyes glinting like bright amethysts, the deadly curve of his beak ending in a wicked point. Wings unfurled from his naked back and Horus took flight with a gentle rustle, soaring upwards into the night air. 

 

The Guardian Primus returned indoors and looked around at his apartment, the results of a carefully crafted life. He had intended to wait out this century among the humans, to see if their modern marvels could match any of the great monuments that had been raised during his reign over the City of the Overmind, Ka’narack. Connor sighed, feeling those plans slipping away as his mind turned to the mission ahead. Already he had fabricated a story of switching schools, moving away abruptly so none of his friends would mistake his departure for a sudden disappearance. “It is time to leave Oak Ridge and this life behind, though not the name, I like it too much.” 

He smiled and looked across at the corkboard that hung above the kitchen sink; images of Connor’s friends; vacations at the cabin, days at the theme park, barbeques and parties, prom dances and debate club victories. His gymnast medals hung in a hefty bundle of golden and silver discs, memories of victories that were not measured in blood and suffering. 

“Bastet needs my aid, that is all that is important.” Connor muttered, turning away and picking up the sack that Horus had brought him. “Among all my allies, all the battles that we have fought together, never has she forsaken me. I will not let the traitor fuel his foul experiments with our sacred blood.” He stopped in front of a cabinet and opened the door, revealing the shrine within; golden idol standing on disc of purple-tinted copper. The Primus raised his arms above his head, hands facing upwards as he knelt down on one knee.

“Oh glorious Overmind, look down on Your faithful servant! Bless my actions with Your divine power, grant me the fury of Your spirit, let my enemies burn in Your avenging wrath!” Connor growled the prayer, feeling his muscles tighten and his eyes begin to hurt as his vision shifted; twisting, silver hieroglyphs appearing in front of him. “Let me fulfil my oaths to You, great Overmind, so that one day You may be reunited again, and all the world will bow before You and the might of the chimera!”

A howling wind roared around him and Connor stood up slowly, eyes closed as he drank in the power offered by the mystical gale. A moment later and all was quiet, as though nothing had happened. He reached into the cabinet and removed the idol, placing it into the sack along with the documents and badge. Connor felt a sense of peace settle in his chest, replacing the sorrow that had been building over his departure from Oak Ridge. His suitcases stood by the door, awaiting him and Connor gave the place one final look around before he left.

His Vitara was already parked out front, the muted blue and black panelling fading into the night as Connor turned off the lights and packed his luggage into the SUV. The Guardian Primus turned back to his house and then glanced up and down the rural road, not seeing any of his neighbors’ lights on. “And now, as though I was never here…” 

Connor raised one of his hands, keeping the other pointed at the ground. His eyes spiralled into purple suns and he activated his terrakinetic abilities, causing the ground to shake and quake around him. The tremor ripped outwards, buckling folds of earth and rock which engulfed his house, tearing the dwelling apart in a grinding crush of unnatural power. The chimera concentrated, pulling the tides of soil and stone back and forth so that the house was buried in seconds, nothing left on the surface but freshly tilled earth. He smiled slightly at the ground before climbing into his SUV and driving away, heading north to Beacon Hills. _I have time enough to stop at Gold Mountain, retrieve one of the emergency caches. Although that route will lengthen my journey by several hours. Hmm, I can always approach through Hill Valley, avoid the wilderness around the forest. Overmind guide my path._

 

“So…” Corey cast about desperately for a topic to fill the _awful_ , awkward void that was his and Theo’s double date with Liam and Stiles. “Um, Cyclones game coming up this Friday, right?”

“Yeah!” Liam latched onto the topic eagerly and gestured with his fork, a piece of steak still attached to it. “We’re gonna beat ‘em for sure, we just gotta-”

“Damn it, Liam!” Stiles hissed at him. “Swallow your food first!”

“Uh…” Corey averted his eyes as Liam went bright red and then glared at Stiles. He nudged Theo quickly. “Why don’t you tell everyone about the big news, Theo?”

“Big news?” Stiles looked over at them, clearly ignoring Liam’s childish pout. “What happened?”

“Uh, it’s nothing major exactly.” Theo shrugged. “Just that Parrish finally got back the paperwork from the police chief in my old town. My parents have been formally declared dead and their assets, such as they are, are mine now.”

“Oh.” Stiles paused, his mouth half-open. “That’s…good?”

“It means Theo is an adult, at least legally.”

“Emancipated youth, I think.” The chimera offered them a small smile. “It doesn’t mean much, just that I don’t have to worry about social services rolling up and trying to put me in foster care. And I get to stay here.”

“Parrish said that we can drive down with him next weekend to collect the stuff left in your parents’, well, _your_ house,” Corey added. “That’ll be fun. Um, the drive anyway. I guess going back to where the Doctors trapped you isn’t.”

“Why?” Liam cut in, having finished eating his steak. “You got taken right here in Beacon Hills, Corey, and you’re fine!”

“Sure, but my parents and best friend didn’t also get kidnapped and then brutally murdered!” Corey fired back, his voice rising towards the end of the sentence. Liam cowed down as curious diners looked over at them. “Grr, not that it matters, I suppose, everyone is always getting killed in this town.”

“Speaking of brutal murder,” Stiles inserted conversationally as Theo looked aghast at him. “Any word on the other Doctors?”

“Nothing.” Theo shook his head as Corey gave Liam a vicious side-eye. “They could have gone underground, and we may never hear from them again. Or, which would be more unsettling, they’re lying low and waiting to enact another evil plan.”

“Concerning.” Stiles murmured, stepping into the aisle when Liam motioned for him to move, the werewolf walking over to the restrooms. “Liam has talked to Mason a few times, well, email conversations. He claims he doesn’t remember much, but what Mason did say, was that his, uh, _conversion_ was the Surgeon’s idea, that the other two had different plans, different motivations.”

“Sounds about right.” Theo nodded, glancing at Corey. “The Pathologist was always super-secretive, I don’t know much about him, where he came from, what his original experiments were about. The Geneticist just wanted to create what she called ‘perfect creatures.’ So, I’m not sure what they could be getting up to.”

“You said when we were searching the Delta Site that there were more places like that around Beacon Hills.” Corey took a sip of his soda, pressing his lips together when Liam came back. “Could they be in one of those secret lairs?”

“Maybe, I’ll have a think about it and see if I can remember anything they might have mentioned before. Then we can start searching them with the chimera and werewolf packs.” Theo said, raising his hand for the bill. “But, um, I think we should consider going, guys, the movie starts soon.”

“Yeah, in like forty minutes, it’s just down the street, Theo, relax.” Stiles replied, leaning back into the booth, his arm slipping around Liam.

“Mmh, I like a safety net of at least ten minutes.” Theo shook his head. “And by the time we get settled here, go to the restroom, get out, drive down, get our tickets, snacks, it’ll take twenty minutes and-”

“Ok! Ok, we’ll go now.”

“I got this,” Corey turned to his boyfriend. “Get me back with snacks at the movie, ok?”

“Alright.” Theo nodded and stood up. “I’ll meet you outside.”

“Is he always like this?” Liam asked once Theo had gone through the door at the other end of the restaurant. “Such a time freak?”

“Uh, not really, only noticed it in the past week.” Corey explained as he looked at the receipt on their table and took out some bills to pay. “I guess he’s just so used to giant monsters appearing to wreck his date plans! Or, you know, jealous boyfriends randomly slicing open his throat on forest bridges at ten-thirty at night…”

“Gah!” Liam glared at him. “It was one time! He heals from mortal blows!”

“Once! And then it’s reset!” Corey glared back. “He gets sick! His organs shut down! He-”

“Alright, guys,” Stiles waded into the quarrel and held out his hands placatingly. “We’ve had this argument three times already! Liam is sorry and Theo is over it, Corey. You can’t keep holding it against him.”

“He _killed_ Theo!”

“And I got better.” The other chimera smiled disarmingly at the group and then at the waitress who had approached their table. “Err, we’re LARPers; Live Action Role Play, we dress up and pretend we’re werewolves in the forest.”

“Oh, wow, yeah.” Her lips moved into the approximation of a smile. “My cousin does that, he has glue-on elf ears. Yep.”

“Cool.” Stiles got up abruptly. “Well, better get the car. Liam?”

“Oh, I’m coming!” The werewolf had gone beet red and he hastily followed Stiles outside.

“Hmm, good save, Theo.” Corey muttered to his boyfriend, walking beside him into the parking lot. 

“It’s ok, thanks for standing up for me, Corey.” Theo smiled at him and leaned in to kiss his cheek. 

“Why did we even agree to go on this stupid date in the first place?” Corey climbed into Theo’s truck and shut the door with a click. “Who suggested it?”

“Stiles did.” Theo turned on the ignition and followed Stiles carefully out of the parking lot towards the AMC theater down the block. “Besides, he said that Liam’s been really down since Mason left, so I figured that we should try and cheer him up.”

“Fine…” Corey moaned. “Just remember we have the pack meeting later this evening.”

“I know, Tracy has a motion to put forward.” Theo shrugged, turning into the movie theater’s parking lot. “I think it’s a good idea.”

“I know Kaiden and Jenny are good to her, but do you think they’ll be ok with all of us moving in?”

“We’re not all moving in.” Theo shrugged. “I don’t want to impose on Jordan for much longer. And I have no idea when or if I’ll get my inheritance. Plus, do I really want to buy in Beacon Hills? Anyway, I think it’s time I moved out of Jordan’s house.”

“I can’t believe you’re still sleeping on his couch.” Corey smirked. “And not in his bed!”

“Corey!”

 

The Pathologist hissed in irritation at his ruined facemask, a long jagged tear had cut completely through the leather and metal, narrowly missing his already scarred and aged features. He placed the mask down on the stone plinth that ran around the edge of his lab, discarding his burnt gloves alongside them, further victims of his latest acquisition. The Doctor ignored the useless garments as he turned back towards the center of the room, darkness banished by large copper bowls filled with pools of burning oil. The chamber was dominated by a carved stone altar set into the floor at the center, steps leading down into a work space. He had no love of the Surgeon’s clean, metal sterility, preferring to keep to the old ways and rely on the fear inspired by the previous experiments’ shed blood to quell any revolt. Although this particular experiment did not appear to be afraid.

The Pathologist laughed quietly to himself, eyes skipping across the woman’s naked, darkly tanned flesh, a hue that almost sparkled in the light cast out from the burning oil. He moved slowly down the stone steps until they were of even height, his smile deepening when the woman’s head twisted towards him, cat-eyes flashing with a purple fire. “At last, I have one of you to study! Soon I will unlock the secrets that have been hidden from me for centuries!”

“My blood is not for you, traitor!” She glared at him harder, a smirk touching her lips as delicate fangs slid down from her gums. “The others will come for me; the Guardians protect their own!”

“Silence!” 

 

“Well, this is a fine state of affairs.” Connor said to himself, rising from his crouched position next to his slashed tires. “Front and back? But strategic, so I wouldn’t be stranded in Hill Valley, no, just all the way out here with nothing but trees for miles.” He glanced at his face in the reflection of the window, youthful features, cut by a stern brow and high cheekbones, the curve of his chin taking away any harshness that might have ruined his appearance. Connor ran a hand through his short, black hair, picking up on the flecks of dried gel that had seemed like a good idea that morning. 

He looked away, casting his eyes up and down the deserted stretch of road, the sun setting in a blaze of red and orange behind him, streaks of dark blue and purple stretching out before him. “Still, at least the view is nice, makes for a better one than I’m used to. Oh, hold on. Hey!” Connor walked into the middle of the road, lifting his arms and waving them above his head as a car came closer towards him. _Beacon Hills direction. Better be careful though, this thing has trap written all over it._

The car stopped, its livery revealing it to be a police cruiser, the officer within getting out as Connor moved back towards his own vehicle. “Hi there, you ok?”

“Car trouble.” Connor pointed at his tires. “Slashed open.”

“Oh, oh dear.” The man glanced at him and then crouched down, biceps bulging as his shirt sleeves rode up. “Ah, I see, they’re pretty torn up. Did you hit some gravel or something?”

“No, nothing like that.” Connor folded his arms across his chest, holding the officer’s gaze. _Hmm, handsome face, strong jaw, well built, and…hmm, something else._ “I mean, I think they were cut open on purpose, though with the rips you’d think a bear did it!” He laughed and the man smiled at him. “Not sure why a bear would want to attack my car though, right?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty unlikely.” The officer straightened up, a head taller than Connor. “I’m Deputy Jordan Parrish, Beacon County Sheriff’s Department. I can give you a ride into town, find you a mechanic, tow your car back in, fix it up. And then you can file a police report, see if we can’t figure out what happened.”

“You’d do all that, huh?”

“Uh, no, I meant-”

“I know what you meant, Deputy.” Connor held out his hand and Parrish shook it. “Good to meet you, Parrish, Connor Kern at your service, well, more like the government’s service.” He chuckled and reached into his jacket pocket, producing a badge. “I’m with the Federal Marshals, on my way to Beacon Hills actually.”

“Really?” Parrish leaned in to look at his badge and then his eyes darted upwards into Connor’s dark eyes again. “Uh, you look young.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Connor snapped the badge shut and slipped it back into his pocket. “We’re trying to find a dangerous fugitive who has already eluded us in three states. There’ll be more of us coming in the next week or so, I’m just the vanguard, here to get set up.”

“Uh, great.”

“Don’t worry, I got a stack of paperwork for your Sheriff and a boss back in Arlington waiting to hear from me. If you can give me a ride to the station, I can get the ball rolling on that. Then we can catch this bad guy and be out of your jurisdiction in no time.”

“Um, yeah, sure.” Parrish nodded and backed away, gripping his radio. “I’ll, uh, I’ll just tell him you’re on the way.”

“Great.” The Guardian Primus turned from Parrish and walked over to his car, popping the trunk with his keys. He stooped low, collecting his suitcases as a sudden, sharp ache exploded along his right side, an echo of pain that was not his own. “Hmm.” Connor’s eyes flared a deep royal purple for a moment, his senses enhanced as his voice fell to a whisper. “The traitor must have started his experiments already. Don’t worry, Bastet, I’m coming. The Guardians always protect their own.”

 

“And here we are, Beacon County Sheriff’s Station!” Parrish proclaimed proudly, his enthusiasm fading slightly when he glanced at Connor. “Though, I’m sure it pales in comparison to your own HQ, huh?”

 _You could say that._ The Guardian Primus shrugged a smile flickering across his face, images of a city flitting through his mind; tall white walls covered in painted figures, statues towering on every street corner, the vast complex of palaces and temples that rose out of the desert’s sands like jewels cast upon the beach. “Not at all, Deputy, it looks very fitting for this town. Heavy-handed policing is not one of my watchwords, I think there is something quite appealing about small-town law enforcement.”

“Uh huh.” The Deputy parked and sighed. “We’re not quite as sleepy and rural as you might think. Um, maybe you heard about…”

“The troubles with the local wildlife?” Connor smiled openly this time. “Yes, I did. Though that is not why I am here; I’m no hunter.”

“No, I don’t think you are.” Parrish was looking at him again, a slow, lingering gaze that the Deputy only pulled away when color tinged his cheeks. “Uh, sorry, let’s go in. I’ll introduce you to my Sheriff and I’ll take care of your car.”

“Thank you.” Connor got out, drawing in a deep breath of clean air as he tried to get the smell of the man’s instant arousal out of his nostrils, a feat complicated by the equal response that had occurred in his own trousers. _No denying he’s handsome! And a unique scent too; like the last embers of the temple’s sacred flame…mmh._

“Marshal Kern?”

“Sorry, just getting my bearings.” Connor turned back with a ready smile, softening his otherwise serious features. “It was a long drive from the field office.”

“I bet.” Parrish gestured for him to enter first. “Um, if you just wait here and I’ll talk to my boss.”

“Sure.” The Primus muttered, a shiver going down his spine as he entered the station. _Supernatural energies have touched this place. Ahh, if only Taweret were here, she could use her magicks to see into the past._ He looked around, catching some curious looks from the other deputies until the office door opened and Parrish came back out.

“Sheriff Stilinski will see you now.”

“Thank you, Deputy.” Connor walked past him and into the office, a man of an age between forty and fifty rising to greet him. “Marshal Connor Kern, delighted to meet you, Sheriff.”

“So my Deputy said.” The Sheriff indicated for him to sit down once they had shaken hands. “He also mentioned that you are on a manhunt?”

“That’s right.” He placed his badge on the desk and reached into a satchel brought from his car. Connor pulled out a folder and put it down next to his credentials. “The man we’re looking for has evaded us in Texas, Montana, and Utah; and those are only the states where he’s actually shown up on our radar. I have every reason to believe that he’s been making his way steadily north since last November.”

“And now he’s here.” The Sheriff sighed, taking a drink of coffee. “Oh, err, do you want a drink?”

“I’m fine.”

“Ok, ok, so what’s this guy’s name? What did he do?”

“We’re not sure.” Connor shrugged, pushing the file towards him until the Sheriff picked it up. “As you can see from the artist’s sketch, the man’s face is heavily scarred and damaged by some sort of fire or chemical burn. You’d think that would make him easier to find, but he’s been wearing a mask or hood or some combination. His crimes are listed underneath.”

“Yeah…my god, _all_ of these are victims?” The Sheriff glanced up at him a hint of suspicion flaring in his eyes that was quickly neutered when Connor just looked back innocently. “Err, sounds like a real monster.”

“At least fifty murdered, perhaps twice as many attacked and used in some sort of cruel and sadistic medical experiments.” Connor dug around in his bag and produced a stack of files several inches thick. “Victim interviews, coroner reports, profiles from our colleagues in the FBI’s BAU, years of investigative work. My bosses call him ‘The Devil Doctor’, a bit flowery, but the man is a butcher with some unnerving tastes.”

“If this…man is in Beacon County then you’ll have whatever you need to catch him.” The Sheriff pushed the files back to Connor. “I’ll have some of the deputies clear out a room for you to get set up in. Are there more Marshals coming? Other agencies? FBI, anything like that?”

“We’re trying to keep this in-house for now.” Connor stood up along with him. “But there are more coming to assist me; four others, within a week.” _I hope._

“Ok, ok, good.” The Sheriff left his office and pointed at a room across from the main workspace. “Higgins, Miller! Go clear out Interview Room One and set up a table and evidence board in there. The rest of you, listen up! This is Federal Marshal Connor Kern with the Pacific South-West Regional Fugitive Task Force. He’s here ahead of a group of Marshals that will arrive next week to hunt down and apprehend an extremely dangerous felon wanted in multiple states. Please provide him assistance as required and extend the courtesy of the Beacon County Sheriff’s Department!”

“Thank you,” Connor glanced at the officers. “I’ll be happy to give you all a briefing on the man we’re searching for tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Sheriff, these are the contact details for my supervisor back in HQ.”

“For verification?” The Sheriff blinked. “Err, sure, I’ll do that.”

“Good.” Connor bowed his head slightly. “Thank you for your co-operation.”

 

Jordan stared at the coffee machine, lost in thought as he waited for it to finish the cycle. He had already sent out a Deputy with the tow-truck to bring Connor’s car back to the impound lot on Sheriff Stilinski’s orders, and now was waiting for the mechanic to return his call. Jordan glanced at the clock above his head, frowning when he saw how late it was. “Theo hasn’t texted me yet, they must still be in the pack meeting. Guess I’ll see him at home later.”

“The room is ready for you now, Marshal.”

He looked over his shoulder when Miller came out and Connor walked in. There was a certain…regal manner to his movements that Jordan only noticed when he was far enough away from the man. A confidence and determination in him that didn’t match his youthful features. _And what a face! God damn is he handsome!_ The Deputy let the thoughts run wild as he watched Connor lift one of his suitcases onto the table through the open door, the Marshal’s biceps displayed prominently once he took off his jacket. 

_Oh yeah, that’s nice, straighten up a bit… Woah, lean build, but still strong, I bet your abs are awesome! I’d like to check you out in the locker room after shift!_ Jordan abruptly averted his eyes and flushed when Connor glanced over at him. _That was close! Ok, no more pervy thoughts, the Sheriff told me who he’s after. Sounds dangerous, sounds like maybe this Devil Doctor came to Beacon Hills because he was called here. This could be way more than one hot, young Marshal can handle! And I wouldn’t mind handling his-_

“Parrish!”

“Huh?”

“Coffee pot is about to explode, man!” Higgins glared at him and reached over to pull the pot away. “Jeeze!”

“Sorry.” Jordan apologized and dragged his thoughts away from Connor as the other cop poured out two cups. “I’ll bring the Marshal some coffee, got an update on his vehicle anyway.”

“Great, I got a mountain of paperwork and I don’t need nightmares from whatever victims that monster of his left.” Higgins shuddered. “Urgh! Got enough from that bear attack on the high school.”

“Right.” Jordan added cream and sugar, leaving the other cup as it was. “I heard that was bad.”

“Yeah, feel really sorry for that kid’s parents; the lacrosse player from Devenford Prep? His leg was torn clean off!”

“Yikes.” Jordan backed away before the other deputy could re-tell his story for the tenth time. “Gotta get this to him while it’s hot!”

 

Connor finished pinning all the evidence to the board, his eyes lingering on the artist’s sketch of the Pathologist’s ruined face. _Burned by fire or chemicals? I suppose it would have been too unbelievable to say that it was the bile from his own twisted creation, a world-eating monster that devoured his flesh and bone!_ He felt his mind drag him back to _that_ night, all the long years before, back to when the world Connor knew was only sand and desert, river and flood plains.

 

**Eight thousand years ago, Ka’narack, City of the Overmind**

The Guardian Primus walked along the wide open corridor that led from the temple’s burial chamber out to the audience hall. Large, decorated pillars held up the massive stone blocks of the ceiling above him, giving way in the center to long banners of purple and red which blocked out the stars as they hung limply in the night air. He paused in front of the royal dais, eyes following the animal pelts decorating the carved stones that rose gently towards the seat of the Overmind. The Primus sighed, shaking his head sadly. “I fear this throne will sit empty for too long, for who now remains to guide our people to greater glory?”

He turned away, continuing to walk down the long throne room, catching glimpses of the faraway dunes through gaps in the pillars on the palace’s eastern edge. The sand was grey and lifeless, a monument to the horrifying monster just defeated. “It will take years beyond counting for the land to heal from the failed chimera’s ravages. And years beyond that before we will find one blessed enough by the gods that they can be worthy of our most scared gift.” His mutterings carried the Guardian Primus out into the night air, down the steps of the royal palace and through the high gates of the courtyard that divided the Overmind’s living quarters from the temple complex where the other chimeras lived and worked.

It was quiet and calm that night, only the silvery shine of a half moon and the pinpricks of stars illuminated the lavishly paved stones of the courtyard. The Primus turned away from the gate that would take him to the lower city and instead, he began to walk along the causeway towards the towering white walls of the great temple. Figures and scenes of battles and victory were painted in massive scale of the sides of the sloping walls, flags and pennants hung from poles atop every structure in the city, though only the royal purple banners that flew from the top of the temple entrance had caught a stray wind, pulling the fabric taut. 

He climbed the long, wide stone steps that led into the antechamber of the temple, a massive statue of his own likeness dominating the center of the room, a half dozen smaller statues gathered around him, their chimera features recreated in loving detail; Horus’ golden plumage, Anubis’ velvet black snout, Sobek’s half-ajar crocodile mouth. The Primus paused and looked at the statues, a smile touching his lips as he recalled their earlier victory against the monster. He drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the scent of burning coals and freshly scattered lotus petals, motes of rare and exotic flowers floating in from the Royal Gardens that extended beyond the city’s walls until the dust of the desert swallowed them up.

The chimera smiled fully as memories of better times flooded back to him; the Overmind in all His divine glory walking with the Guardian Primus through the manicured flower beds and brilliant greenery of the gardens. They would discuss the events of the day, the new chimeras raised in His name, the endless inspiration delivered from the pantheon to the crafters and moulders of flesh and bone and blood. The Primus scowled as his memories suddenly turned bitter, like ash on his tongue. It had all changed one day, as unexpected as losing the Overmind in the final battle, a chimera was created of such potent evil that it had taken its creator’s face in its first moments. 

“The One Who Gathers…” The Primus whispered, leaving the group of statues behind and walking towards the ritual chambers. He passed hooded priests, ignoring their sudden bows and looking instead at the preparation tables, the rows and rows of chimera parts and animal pieces. More chimeras would be made soon, to replace those who had been lost to the monster. “It is trapped now, no longer a threat. Well, providing the prison holds and the Nemetons are not shattered.” He rolled the unfamiliar word around in his mouth, a shiver crawling across his skin as the dark bargain they had struck came back to haunt him. _Those tree-priests were a little too eager I think…_

 

“Greetings, Primus.” A young man bowed at him, straightening up with a smile. “It is late to be wandering the temple. Can you not sleep?”

“Sleep eludes me, Ra, I do not think it will come tonight, or any other.” The Primus added with a grimace, stopping next to the Guardian outside another ritual chamber. “I cannot unsee our master’s fall, my…failure to protect Him.”

“You did all that you could, Primus.” Ra touched his shoulder, slipping his hand under the loose linen vest and caressed the chimera’s skin lovingly. “You may not sleep, but I can promise you distraction!”

“Haha.” He considered Ra’s offer with a smirk, weighing up the handsome youth and his hard, strong body before nodding. “Victories must be celebrated, hmm?”

“A mighty festival is planned for the day after tomorrow.” The younger chimera grinned, his eyes gleaming under the moon’s brightness. “But you are the greatest warrior to have ever lived! You deserve a just reward for your valor.”

“Indeed?” The Primus laughed, slipping his arm around Ra’s back. He shared his lover’s smile and gestured for them to leave the temple. However a sound caught his attention and the Primus stopped, his head tilted to one side as he listened intently. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

“I heard something.” He frowned, moving back towards the ritual chamber. There was a sudden shout and a crash of something heavy hitting the floor tiles. “This way!” They ran further into the complex, following the alarmed shouting that all too soon turned into screams of horror and wet gurgling. The Primus reached out and pulled Ra backwards as a wave of burning oil arced through the air before them, a large copper dish rolling along the ground seconds later. “No! Stop, go and find the rest of the Guardians.”

“I can fight!” Ra protested, gripping the other chimera’s arm. “I-”

“I know.” The Primus looked at him, holding Ra’s gaze for a moment until his lover’s eyes softened and he nodded. “I know, but I need everyone, my wounds from the battle are not yet healed. Tell them to hurry.”

“As you command, Primus.” Ra bowed quickly and then turned and sprinted down the long corridors of stone that separated the temples and the palace. 

The Guardian Primus touched the still tender flesh under his vest, the deep ridges of hard muscle were scored with jagged edges from the monster’s liquid attacks, a fury of hungering water unleashed. He grimaced and walked forward, crossing the burning oil to enter the Chamber of Essences; the chimeras guarding it were face down on the floor, blood pooling under them. The Primus snarled softly, serrated claws emerging as thick fangs pushed his lips forward and his frame rippled with barely concealed fury as he strode into the room itself. “You!”

“Huh? Gah!” A hooded vandal whirled around from where he was directing a group of human-like creatures to steal the sacred canopic jars that lined the walls of the Chamber of Essence. Several of the minions yelped when they spotted the Primus, dropping boxes of creature parts, sacred jars smashing onto the floor as they scrambled to get out of his way. The hood kept the figure’s face in shadows, but his voice was unmistakably male, raspy and dry. He circled around to stand between the minions and the Primus, extending a long, cloth-wrapped hand. “I did not think you had returned so quickly, ancient one.”

“And I did not think that you would be so bold as to show your face in my city again.” The Guardian Primus snarled, the ground under his feet beginning to tremble, stone flagstone cracking as he pulled on his powers to control rock and earth. “But it will be the last time, traitor!”

“Traitor? You call me that out of revulsion, but I accomplished something that not even the great Overmind himself could achieve!”

“You paid for it with more than your face, I see, lost your mind too, huh?” The Primus smirked and then charged forward unexpectedly, his claws swiping through thin air when the traitor rolled out of the way, springing up and running for the doorway. One of his minions leapt at the chimera, managing to slash open his wounds. “Argh!” The Primus batted the creature aside, breaking its neck with ease as he checked his wound. His fingers slipped in blood and the Primus grunted, turning to pursue the traitor. 

“Stop!” The traitor cried out, a golden blade held to Ra’s throat, his minions having somehow caught the young Guardian. “Stop, ancient one, I have the chimera you value most!”

“Release him.” He growled, the other Guardians arriving moments later in a flurry of beating wings and an array of furious grunts, snorts, and snarls. “You are out-numbered.”

“I made all of them, your precious Guardians, ancient one, I was this temple’s high priest once.” The traitor slavered at them, his ruined mouth unable to form the words properly. “I know how to kill them, how to steal their- _his_ -life and send it crashing through the gates of the underworld until he has gone beyond your ability to heal.”

“Hold.” The Guardian Primus raised his hands, claws vanishing as he alone walked forward. “Release him and you may leave, banished from the Kingdom of Egypt forever.”

“Or?”

“If you harm him, there will be nowhere you can run to, no fortress that will keep you, no trickery of life and death that will hide you from my wrath.”

“You are _tired_ , ancient one,” The priest goaded him, pressing the knife closer to Ra’s neck, blood appearing on the shining edge. The young chimera looked at the Primus with begging eyes, fear rolling off him in desolate waves. “You are too tired to pursue me! Yahh!” With a savage roar, the traitor sliced open Ra’s neck, an arc of blood fountaining out as a glimmer of blue flame wicked across the wound, snuffing out his life. 

“No!” The Primus cried out, rushing forward to catch Ra’s falling body, the high priest dancing backwards, his form melding into the night air without so much as another whisper. “No…”

 

“Coffee? Marshal Kern?”

Connor blinked, dragged from his memories of that night when Deputy Parrish touched his shoulder. “Hmm?”

“Um, I brought you a drink.” The man smiled at him. “We have donuts too, I think, might be a bit stale at this point though.”

“Yes, sure.” Connor cleared his throat and blinked his eyes again, suppressing the swell of emotion that threatened to undo him as Ra’s dying smile filled his mind’s eye. “Thank you.”

“Coffee is like tar and the donuts are pucks.” Parrish smirked, shrugging his shoulders. “Not sure what there is to thank me for.”

“Mmh.” Connor grunted, turning back to look at the filled board in front of them. He didn’t move when Parrish leaned against the table next to him, triceps bunching as the Deputy braced himself on the surface. The Guardian Primus breathed deep, savoring the man’s unique scent again. “Alright Deputy Parrish, time to return to the hunt. I have a Devil Doctor to find!”


	2. The Dragon and the Werewolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit sexual content, including anal sex without the use of a condom. Please practice safe sex!

“Ten-four, we’re on our way now.” Jordan replied over the radio, replacing the receiver on the rack of the police cruiser as Connor opened the door and stepped outside. “It’s a bit of a hike, Marshal Kern, about a mile away.”

“It’s fine,” The handsome young man responded, pulling out a florescent jacket and pulling it on, the initials of his office emblazoned across the back in orange lettering. “And I told you before, Deputy, you can just call me Connor. There’s no need for all these formalities.”

“Ok, well, Connor,” Jordan paused, savouring the sound of the man’s name on his lips. “The crime scene is in a part of the Beacon Hills Preserve that’s hard to access. The Sheriff has called in a friend from SAR to bring the body out, but everyone else has to walk to get there. Not that I imagine that’s a big deal to you, you look like you work out!”

“Part of the job is running after criminals, so yeah, I work out.” Connor glanced at him as they walked around to the trunk, waiting for Parrish to open it. He clicked his tongue after a moment as Jordan just stood there, motionless. “Deputy?”

“Oh, err, right.” He flushed, thoughts of what Connor must look like shirtless and sweaty filling Jordan’s mind. The Deputy bent down and opened the trunk, standing back as Connor reached inside. He watched the practiced movements of the Marshal as he pulled a handgun from the gun locker and checked the chamber before sliding a clip inside. “I noticed you weren’t carrying your firearm last night.”

“I didn’t think I needed it just driving from HQ up to here.” Connor shrugged and holstered his weapon. “C’mon, I want to see the crime scene before forensics takes it apart.”

“That won’t be too much of a problem.” Jordan muttered as they started to walk towards the forest, twilight lengthening the shadows in front of them. “We haven’t had a forensics department since the…err, for a while.”

“Oh? Well, I can call HQ and have them send a team if it’s needed.” Connor replied, taking the lead as Jordan hung back. “Hopefully not; that’s a whole lot of paperwork that I don’t want to do.”

“I get that.” Jordan nodded, his eyes sinking from Connor’s jet-black hair and smooth strip of his exposed neck down his jacket towards his ass, the visibly muscular globes filling his pants in just the _perfect_ way. The Deputy felt his cock harden in response, pushing against the confines of his briefs and making the front of his crotch bulge. He found an excuse to brush the heel of his hand against the erection and flicked his eyes back up to catch a quick glimpse of Connor’s face as the Marshal stepped off the beaten track, half-turning towards him. “Uh, yeah, it’s that way.”

“Figured; there’s dozens of boot prints just there.” Connor gestured back at where Jordan was standing. “Plus, the foliage has been torn and damaged here; makes it easy to track where people came through with no regard for nature.”

“Huh. Good catch.”

“Thanks, let’s pick up the pace, Deputy.” He started to jog, and Jordan blinked, his arousal forgotten as he ran after Connor. “We’re losing daylight!”

 _Ok, he’s more athletic than I thought._ Jordan felt the thoughts flickering through his mind as they continued along the muddy path worn into the forest by the previous officers. Connor climbed over logs and propelled himself across boulders, avoiding puddles of water from the rain that afternoon, moving nimbly along the forest floor. Jordan had to push himself to keep up, feeling like he was back in Basic Training from his time in the Army. _Yeah, but just imagine what fucking him would be like; he has some serious endurance!_

 

Connor tried to ignore the prickle between his shoulder blades, the distracting sensation of Parrish’s lingering gazes. The Deputy wasn’t as subtle as he obviously thought he was being; even if Connor didn’t have the benefit of being able to smell his arousal. The little touches, casual disregard for his personal space, excuses to talk to him about mundane things. It all added up. Connor continued towards the crime scene, slowing to a walk again to allow the Deputy to travel beside him. _He’s not unattractive of course, quite the opposite. And if this were any other mission, any other time, I’d almost welcome the attention. But I have…wait a moment._

He frowned, catching the edge of something else in Parrish’s scent, the same thing he had noticed throughout the day though stronger now. Connor had first caught the distinct motes at the morning briefing and again during lunch when they discussed the case over spicy chicken in the diner near the station. He inhaled deeply, pretending to catch his breath after the long trek. There it was again; smoky and harsh, and yet…familiar. The Primus stopped suddenly, ignoring Parrish when the Deputy called out to him, his eyes widening. _Of course, how could I forget the Overmind’s most magnificent creation?!_ Memories flooded his mind’s eye, dragging him back to the hot deserts outside the city of Inbu-Hedj, capital of the Old Kingdom. 

The Primus looked up as the chimera emerged from clouds of swirling dusts; mighty scaled wings stretching through the air as it descended on cascades of orange fire. The new chimera’s skin had been turned into burnished copper discs, as though daring anyone to try and breach his flesh with mortal weapons.

The Dragon.

Just remembering the name sent a thrill of excitement down Connor’s spine. He smiled to himself as he glanced over at Parrish, the Deputy frowning in confusion. _My master’s most glorious chimera! Mythical, legendry, the hero and villain of a thousand stories from one corner of the world to another. But you, you are not the Dragon, nor his kin. You must be something else._

“Um, Connor, are you alright?”

“Fine, fine, just getting my bearings.” He dismissed Parrish’s concern with a wave, studying his handsome face for a moment. _Orthrus? No, no, it can’t be, he was lost during the Wars of Mythos. But then, Typhon? Hmm, rumor has him in this region, but Parrish is too impulsive to house Typhon. Ah, Cerberus of the younger pantheon._ The Primus smiled again, nodding to himself. “All the trees start to look the same, I wanted to just make sure I could find my way back.”

“Oh, sure, I imagine you have to do a lot of tracking in your job.” Parrish replied, moved closer to him and offering a supportive hand. “We’re nearly there, just through that glade and past the cliffs.”

“Good, good.” Connor muttered. “It’ll be useful to see the body in context; were they killed there? Or is it just a dump site?”

“Do you think the Devil Doctor is responsible?”

“Perhaps,” The Primus shrugged, continuing to walk. “His MO is certainly unique, we’ll be able to tell soon enough. Don’t you remember the briefing this morning?”

“Um, sure.” The Deputy’s scent flushed into embarrassment. “I, um, there was a lot of information going on.”

 _Sure, it definitely had nothing to do with you trying to hide your raging hardon the entire time!_ Connor offered him a small smile and the brushed away a branch, leading them towards where the body had been found.

 

The crime scene was cordoned off and the Deputy standing at the entrance waved them through after Connor flashed his badge and Parrish offered the officer a smile, his uniform identity enough. A deep ravine ran along one side of the hiking trail and there was a line of deputies out sweeping the area for clues as a large, high-suspension vehicle was reversed slowly along the edge of the gorge. Connor was able to spot the Sheriff and another man who he assumed was the County Coroner from his appearance and the scent of death that pervaded his immediate surroundings. _Ahh, a fellow priest of the mortuary arts. But your scent is mundane, the traitor is not so bold as to hide in plain sight._

He gestured for Parrish to follow him down the side of the ravine and towards the crime scene proper. The trees crowded in closely in this part of the forest and the Primus frowned to himself as they descended, picking up the scents of creatures that were painfully unnatural. _Back to your old tricks? Hmm, these prints bear a resemblance to the claws that pierced my tires._ Connor looked up and acknowledged the Sheriff with a nod. “Evening.”

“Marshal.”

“So, what do we have?” He glanced down at the plastic sheet that had been draped over the body. “Can I see…the damage?”

“Of course,” The Sheriff crouched and gestured at Parrish to help him lift the body onto a waiting gurney before he pulled the sheet back, exposing the woman’s face, pale and covered in precise, clean cuts. “Two hikers found her this afternoon when one of them tripped and fell into the gorge, breaking his ankle. We got them to the hospital before you arrived.”

“I’ll need to speak with them.”

“Certainly, Marshal, you can come back with us.” The Sheriff nodded and then continued to talk. “They found the woman down here; naked, major wounds across her body; the autopsy will tell us more but I’m thinking this was a body dump. It looks as though she’s been, um, her organs are, uh-”

“Missing.” Connor frowned, shaking his head. _Not Bastet, good. Unfortunate for the human, of course, but I can see that the traitor harvested this one for parts. Curious. Is he simply stealing organs to sell on and fund his greater plans? Or is there something else? Some hidden plot that is tied to those creatures he now commands?_ He glanced at the Sheriff, noticing the man’s attention. “Sorry, it, uh, it never gets easy. But based on your description and even just the superficial wounds I can see here, this is the serial killer we’ve been after.”

“I’m not sure if I’m relieved to hear that a fugitive known as the Devil Doctor is terrorizing my town. Let’s get her to the morgue and talk to those hikers, rule them out as suspects.” He muttered, beckoning Parrish forward. “Deputy, stay here and oversee the evidence collection.”

“Oh, err, ok.” Parrish looked at Connor and opened his mouth to speak, but the Sheriff waved him away and the Deputy moved off.

“Thank you for the ride, Deputy Parrish.” Connor called out, receiving a grin in return. _I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future._ “Alright, Sheriff, I’m ready to head back with you now.”

“Let’s go.”

 

“Uh, if you just give me a moment, Marshal Kern?” The Sheriff had stopped next to the Nurse’s Station and Connor nodded. “I’ll just, uh, check on…something.”

“Sure.” The Primus moved away from him as the Sheriff smiled at a dark-haired nurse and started talking with her quietly. He took a deep breath, letting the sterile smell of the hospital fill his nostrils, drowning out the pain and blood that had crept up from the ER below them. The two hikers were in a room down the hallway and Connor walked steadily towards the end of the corridor, slowing when a doctor stepped out of the witness’ room. “Ah, excuse me, doctor, Connor Kern, Federal Marshals,” He held up his badge as the man frowned at him. “I’m with the Sheriff. You’re treating the hiker with the broken foot?”

“Ankle, and yes.” He held out his hand for Connor to shake. “Dr Geyer, what can I do for you, Marshal Kern?”

“I…are you distracted?” Connor asked as Dr Geyer looked around uncomfortably. 

“Oh, sorry, I thought Liam would be out here, err, my step-son, he just brought me dinner.”

“How kind of him.” The Primus wrinkled his nose when he picked up on a different scent, this one clinging to Dr Geyer’s clothes; transferred rather than owned. _Werewolf filth!_ Connor blinked as the vicious thought fired through his mind and the urge to growl the words aloud thrummed through his body. _The ancient enemy…and this doctor has been in contact with one. Hmm, I thought I could smell their foul stench when I walked in here. Bah!_

“Are you alright, Marshal?”

“I’m fine.” Connor lied, swallowing his bile. “I wanted to ask you-”

“Code Blue! Code Blue! Room two-thirty-three!” The voice cut into their conversation and Dr Geyer looked at him apologetically before dashing off. 

“Hmm,” Connor ignored the panic gathering at the end of the corridor and instead walked over the door to the hikers’ room. He could see the two young men talking to each other, one with his leg propped up. _Werewolves…is there nowhere on this planet free of their presence?! With the First Wolf dead, they should have faded back into their god’s primordial soup, but instead they-_

“Um, excuse me?”

Connor turned around when he heard the voice, hands curling into fists as the scent of werewolf assaulted his nostrils again, this time stronger and more potent. There was a teenager standing in front of him, sixteen or so, with brown hair and an innocent expression. “What?” The Primus snapped, the urge to lash out building before he was able to rein his aggression in. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Sorry, long day. What do you want?”

“Uh, just wondering if you’d seen my step-dad? He was here a moment ago.”

“Ah, you must be Liam.” Connor’s eyes narrowed, weighing him up. “He’s responding to a Code Blue, I guess you’ll just have to wait for him.”

“Uh huh.” Liam chewed his lip. “Do I know you? I feel like we’ve met.”

“I doubt it.” Connor shook his head. _There are few werewolves I have met that are still alive by the time we are finished meeting! But you are young, I wonder then; were you bitten as a willing teenager or as a frightened child? Or are you the true enemy? Those that were born to steal away children and corrupt them?! Those that forced my hand all in the ages distant…_

 

**Ten thousand years ago, Egypt.**

“Taken from their beds at night by shadows of malevolence and evil, Pharaoh! These are creatures not of our gods, perhaps the desert people, but it matters not. We simply cannot stand by while these acts of barbarism are committed on our subjects. We must petition the gods for help!” The high priest shook his fist at the Pharaoh, deferring at the last minute as his Guardians stood up. “I mean no disrespect, of course. I only wish that something be done to stop these monsters from taking every village in the kingdom!”

“High Priest, do not talk to me about the dangers these monsters present,” The Pharaoh rose from his chair and walked across the open paving of the audience chamber, the sun gleaming on his golden collar and cloak of gemstones. “This very morning my loyal Guardians foiled an attempt to strike at the very heart of the kingdom. Here. These…monsters, hideous dogs that not even Anubis could claim, turned to naked men when confronted with our weapons.”

“What foul curse has fallen upon us, my Pharaoh?” The high priest wailed, collapsing onto the floor. “Why have the gods forsaken us?!”

“The gods have not forsaken you,” A strong voice came from the shadows behind the Pharaoh’s chair, the Primus emerging at the head of a procession of priests and warriors. “And our glorious Pharaoh is not being entirely honest; the monsters _did_ breach the palace, they _did_ steal away one of his sons and they _did_ turn him into one of their own using whatever foul magicks are at their command.”

“Tem, please,” The Pharaoh turned to him, holding out his hand, fear spreading across his face. “I am only trying to keep the peace, we need-”

“No, you are weak, content to let the monsters feed and feast on our people. Your own daughter was butchered in her room! One of your sons was corrupted so badly that the underworld itself will spit him out!” The Primus shook his head, gesturing to a man standing next to him, fresh scars on his chest. “But no longer shall we suffer. I have called upon the gods to aid us in our time of need and they have delivered a weapon of mighty power! Behold, the Overmind!” 

The Primus’ eyes began to glow with purple fire as he continued to speak. “To fight this curse of beasts and men, we will create creatures of our own, monsters who respond to _our_ commands! We shall root out these dog-men and destroy their corruption before it can threaten the rest of our kingdom!”

 

“This is the last of the dog-men, great Tem!” One of the newly created chimeras called out, her claws splattered in blood and gore, the tips of her wings stained crimson. She pushed a naked man to the ground in front of the Primus. “What shall we do with him?”

“Bathe in his blood!” The vicious snarl came from a lion-headed chimera to his left. “No mercy for the monsters!”

“Squeeze him for information!” A sibilant hiss echoed from his right, the cobra’s hood flaring out as more snake-headed chimeras crowded around the Primus. “We have killed all of their raiding party, but more yet hide in our city. Nor do we know the source of their magick, make him talk!”

“Please!” The man spluttered, blood running down his face as he looked up at them. “I am Pharaoh’s son, do you not recognize me, Tem?”

“I see only a monster and one cursed by the gods.” The Primus let his eyes glow purple, the shade echoed by all those around him as the man shrunk back. “But we will not kill you, we will take you to our priests and discover what secrets your flesh and blood reveal. Do you not agree, Overmind?” He turned, bowing to the figure that walked across the blood-splattered sands.

“Take him; let him be the first of many!” The Overmind declared, spreading his arms wide. “If the dog-men seek to claim our people for themselves, we shall turn them into chimeras before their corruption can be spread. The gods demand it, and so shall it be done!”

“As you command.” Tem intoned, echoed by the chimeras around him, the screams of the prisoner falling on deaf ears. 

 

**The present day**

“Uh, you ok, mister?” Liam nudged him and Connor snapped back to where he was, stepping quickly away from the werewolf. “Uh…”

“Sorry, lost in thought.” He lied, shaking his head to clear the memories of that blood-soaked day. _The dog-men…when did we start calling them werewolves? It matters not, we defeated them in Egypt and if they interfere here, I will do the same._ “Um, you asked if we had met? I’m sorry, no, I must have one of those faces.”

“You certainly have…something.” Liam muttered and then flushed when Connor arched a brow. “Such as, err, really good hearing!”

“Hmm.” Connor grunted, looking up when the Sheriff finally joined him. “Ah, are you ready?”

“Yeah, just had to iron out some dinner plans.” He paused, turning to Liam. “Are you waiting on your step-father? Melissa called him into surgery, so he’ll be a while.”

“Oh, ok. Um, I guess that means I can go hang out with Stiles! Goodbye, Sheriff, uh, mister.” Liam bounced backwards, giving Connor one final curious look before bounding off down the hallway.

“You know him?” The Primus asked conversationally as they prepared to enter the room. 

“Oh, Liam? Yeah, he’s dating my son, Stiles.” The Sheriff shrugged. “He’s a good kid…gets into some, err, sticky situations from time to time, but yeah, Stiles loves him, so what can you do? Are you, um, married, Connor?”

“I’m single, Sheriff.” Connor glanced at him suspiciously as the man’s pulse ratcheted up. “This line of work doesn’t enamour many people and relationships suffer when you’re travelling to a different state every month. Why?”

“I’m not asking for myself!”

“Ahh, Deputy Parrish, I presume?” Connor smiled when the Sheriff arched a brow. “He’s been a bit obvious, and I get the impression that you and he are good friends as well as colleagues.”

“Well, like you said, he’s interested. And he’s single. And he could use the distraction. Ahem.” The Sheriff cleared his throat, hand on the door knob. “But if he’s coming on too strong, let me know and I’ll have a word with him.”

“I can handle your Deputy just fine.” He smirked. _The Dragon was among our most powerful chimeras, I wonder how much of your potential Jordan has unlocked in you, Cerberus?_

 

“Hey Corey!” Jordan smiled at him as the chimera slipped past the front desk and made his way over. “You on your way to see Theo?”

“Uh huh, the lawyers got in contact with him last night, something about an up-front payment or…I don’t know, something financial that means he’s finally got money.” Corey shrugged. “Whatever it means, Theo’s staying in The Imperial Hotel downtown now.”

“Swanky!”

“Haha, yeah.” Corey grinned and perched on the edge of Jordan’s desk as the Deputy sat back down with a stack of folders. “I kinda hope they don’t have, like, a secret fortune or something; it might go to his head!”

“Eh, Theo is pretty down to earth.” Jordan shrugged while he fished out a pen from the cup next to the keyboard. “I wouldn’t worry about that. So, are you popping in to say hi, or do you have an ulterior motive?”

“I’m offended.”

“Uh huh.” Jordan clicked his tongue as Corey arched his brows in a disarming expression. “Don’t pull the cute stuff on me, ain’t gonna work.”

“Yeah right!” Corey snickered as Jordan felt his cheeks heat. “Um, but you got me! I did hear that you guys found a body in the Preserve.”

“What?! How did you find that out? Not even the media knows about it yet.”

“The chimera have their ways.” Corey said, an air of mystery around him that rapidly deflated when Jordan stared at him. “Ok, fine, Tracy was at her Dad’s office and overheard him talking to a cop, ye happy?”

“Hmm, not really.” Jordan sighed, feeling Corey’s eyes on him. “What?”

“Spill the deets!” Corey cried out, lowering his voice after Jordan shushed him. “Sorry, but _c’mon,_ Deputy, you know how the chimera pack just devours all things supernatural! And if I’m the one bringing the juicy details, then I get, uh, bragging rights. And, um, I get to choose the movie on Friday. I am not watching _The Notebook_ again, Theo lets Tracy and Hayden get away with murder inflicting that thing on us every week…”

“Uh huh.” Jordan frowned at him as Corey continued muttering darkly. “I thought you were a completely democratic pack?”

“Well, yeah, for serious stuff like supporting a supernatural war or helping stop the Dread Doctors, not for deciding between _Thor_ and _Twilight_!” Corey explained, pouting at him. “They’ll want all the details and then I can use that to my advantage on Friday!”

“Uh, ok.” The Deputy shrugged and relented after staring at Corey for few seconds. “Ok, fine, the Sheriff will probably issue a press release anyway once we’ve contacted the victim’s family.”

“Ah, so there was a body found!”

“Yeah, in the forest.”

“Huh, makes sense, murder central out there!”

“Can you be a little less excited, Corey?” Jordan huffed. “Besides, this is probably just humans killing humans; there’s a Federal Marshal here to investigate.”

“What are they?” Corey frowned. “Like the FBI?”

“Hmm, not really, they mostly do witness protection and hunt down fugitives.” He explained, gesturing to the room Connor was using. “This guy said he was here ahead of the rest of his team. They're here to, um, to catch a serial killer called the ‘Devil Doctor.’”

“Uh…” Corey looked at him sharply. “That sounds familiar.”

“Hopefully it’s just a colorful name.”

“And if it isn’t?”

Jordan didn’t answer for a moment. “I don’t know, it wouldn’t be good.”

“Hmm.” Corey watched him carefully. “So…this federal agent.”

“Yeah?”

“What’s he like?”

“Um, why?” Jordan frowned as Corey smirked. 

“Theo moved out of your apartment this afternoon and you’ve barely asked about him.” Corey smirked wider. “That’s gotta mean you’re either angry at Theo-”

“I’m not angry-”

“-or you’re interested in someone new.” Corey talked over him. “And I’m guessing it’s this suave, sexy special agent!”

“Connor isn’t a special agent.”

“Ok, but I wanted the alliteration.”

“Ugh,” Jordan shook his head. “What if I told you he was an overweight forty year old with bad breath?!”

“I’d say you were lying!” Corey smirked. “And you totally are because you have a tell when you get super horned up, Deputy! Not that I’m gonna reveal it of course! So, c’mon, tell me!”

“Fine, fine.” Jordan groaned and woke up his computer, logging in. “He doesn’t have any social media, at least none I could find. But he’s on all the right websites for a Federal Marshal, um, here’s a good picture of him at graduation…”

“Uhhh, have you been stalking him?!”

“No!” Jordan flushed, swatting Corey away. “I just wanted to know who I’d be working with!”

“Yeah, right!” Corey leaned back folding his arms. “Huh.”

“What?”

“Well…he’s no Theo…” The chimera frowned, examining the man’s stern expression, brows pulled in tight, his dark brown eyes hiding a clever gaze. Corey unconsciously wetted his lips, his eyes pulling down to the smooth skin exposed by Connor’s open shirt. “Ok, he’s hot. Well, he’s cute too. So, he’s hot _and_ cute, lucky you!”

“You’re not…upset?” Jordan asked carefully as Corey shook his head. “Good, because I’m thinking-” The Deputy cut himself off as the doors to the Sheriff Station opened, revealing Connor and the Sheriff’s return. “Oh dear, get off the desk!”

 

Corey got off the desk quickly after Jordan hissed and Sheriff Stilinski frowned at him before turning to Jordan with a scowl. _Crap! I hope I didn’t get him in trouble! Oh, is that the Marshal?_ The chimera turned his gaze towards the other guy, recognizing him in real life from the pictures Jordan had just shown him. Corey swallowed hard as their eyes met and he felt a strange sensation twist through his stomach and chest. _Woah, he is hot though! And Jordan is blushing, damn, he must totally have a crush on the guy!_

“Deputy Parrish?” The Sheriff gestured him over. “Why don’t you say goodbye to your young friend, and we can have another conversation about _appropriate_ relationships?”

“Uh, yes, Sheriff.” Deputy Parrish hung his head as his boss went into his office and Connor slipped past, heading into the evidence room. “Sorry, Corey.”

“No, it’s my fault.” The chimera chewed his bottom lip anxiously. “I shouldn’t be here; the Sheriff is just trying to protect you.”

“Mmh.”

“But, Jordan?”

“Yeah?”

Corey leaned in over the top of the computer monitor, lowering his voice. “Connor is pretty hot, you should go for it!”

“Corey!” Jordan flushed again, batting him away. “Crap, he’s looking at us!”

“Haha, goodbye, Deputy!” Corey grinned and backed away, looking over in time to see Connor watching him with a faint frown. His jaw was strong and firm, somewhat narrow, though his cheekbones were perfectly sloped, hollowing out his cheeks. But for all his masculine hardness, Connor's nose and chin were rounded, almost soft, giving his face a youthful appearance, further enhanced by his clean-shaven cheeks, smooth to the point that Corey couldn't see any stubble. The chimera felt the same strangeness flow through him again when he held Connor’s steady gaze. _Weird, I should have Theo aura-check him just to make sure he’s actually human._

“Goodbye Corey.” Sheriff Stilinski called out to him, breaking Corey from his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah, sorry, goodbye.” He nodded and quickly stepped through the door into the early evening coolness. Winter was drawing in closer each day and the trees rattled above him, their leaves torn by the harsh wind that wound its way down from the far distant mountains. Corey zipped up his jacket and climbed onto his bike, pushing off just as there was an ominous thunder overhead. “Oh come on!”

 

“You look like a wet dog, Corey!” Theo grinned at his boyfriend, stepping aside to let him into the hotel room. “Uh, go into the bathroom, try not to drip on the carpet.”

“Ugh, I’m totally soaked!” The chimera complained, shaking his head, wet hair stuck to his face as he shuffled across the room and into the tiled area off to the left. “I like the room though!”

“It’s nice, right?” Theo acknowledged the compliment, spreading his arms wide. He was dressed in just sweatpants, his tanned torso more defined than usual as Corey ran his eyes over him. “There’s even a gym and pool in the basement, really cool!”

“Have you just been?”

“Yeah, I like getting the extra pump for you.” Theo winked and stepped forward, kissing Corey, his hand reaching out to tilt his boyfriend’s face upwards. “Mmh, but you feel cold, you better have a shower.”

“I was going to anyway.” Corey mumbled, moving back so he could strip out of his sodden clothes. “I came from the Sheriff’s Station, Stilinski is still coming down hard on Jordan for hanging out with us.”

“Really? Damn.” Theo folded his arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “He’d probably totally freak out if he found out that I had been sleeping on Jordan’s couch. Never mind anything else…”

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about the anything else anymore.” Corey smirked. “There’s this new guy at the station, well, he’s not a cop, Federal Marshal.”

“What?” Theo stood up straight, looking concerned. “Why would the Marshals be in Beacon Hills? That’s a lot of attention we don’t need.”

“Uh, they’re after a fugitive or something, it’s not important.” Corey waved the details away. “What’s important is that Jordan totally has a crush on him! He’s called Connor and…well…”

“He’s hot?”

“Yeah! Well, like, totally, objectively.” Corey added quickly as he sat down on the toilet to try and pull off his wet jeans. He glanced over at Theo’s smirk. “You’d think so too if you saw him! He’s young looking though, like, early twenties, maybe. Dark hair, dark eyes, solid build; I couldn’t really tell since he had a jacket on. But from the cut of his jaw and the way he was moving, I’d guess he’s kinda buff. Not like you, but, well, we know the kind of guys Jordan goes for!”

“Uh huh.” Theo pressed his lips together, finally walking across the tiles to tug the jeans off Corey’s legs. “You were taking too long.”

“You’re not jealous?”

“No.” The older chimera shrugged. “Look, me and Jordan already talked this out a few weeks ago. I had Stiles there to mediate, but we reached a common understanding. Plus, it’s probably for the best that Jordan hooks up with an older guy, or, err, a guy the same age as him. We’re still in high school, Corey, if this was another cop interested in a seventeen year old girl, it’d be creepy as hell, right?”

“Um, I guess.” He sighed, standing up to peel off his trunks, dropping them on top of the pile of wet clothes as Theo reached into the large shower and turned on the water. “I still like him though.”

“So do I.”

“Oh, um, Theo?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you shower in peace, and by the way, that basin next to the toilet is the bidet, in case you want to, um, wash off your intimate bits.” Theo smirked, backing off. “I’ll wait for you on the bed.”

“Thanks.” Corey smiled, rubbing his hands over his chest as warmth began to return to his body. “But what I was gonna ask you was that we should find a way to, um, do a reading on Connor. You can check his aura with your eyes, see if he’s a human or a werewolf or a secret chimera!”

“Hmm, if he’s going to be hooking up with one of our best friends then I guess that’s a good idea.” Theo agreed, stepping out of the bathroom as Corey got into the shower, clouds of billowing steam swamping the room. “See you in a bit, Corey!”

 

“Looking good, Corey!” Theo called out as his boyfriend emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, hair pushed back up, his skin flushed and healthy-looking again. The chimera grinned at him and shuffled over to the radiator that ran along one wall, dropping his towel so it just hung over his crotch. Theo licked his lips and rolled onto his front, crawling to the end of the bed, his TV program forgotten. “What you up to?”

“Drying off naturally.” Corey replied coyly before pulling the towel away completely and tossing it onto a nearby chair. His thick cock was already hard, standing out from his body as hefty balls hung underneath. Corey laughed at Theo’s hungry expression as his boyfriend stripped off his sweatpants and trunks hurriedly. “Did you really think I was gonna let your first night at this hotel go with just some tame sleepover?!”

“Well, we have had to take our hookups when we could get them before.” Theo bucked into the bed as he drank in his boyfriend’s sexy body, his ass cheeks clenching and releasing methodically. “It’d be nice to take our time, savor the moments, maybe do something a little more…involved?”

“Am I to assume that you actually used that, err, bidet thing?”

“You’d be right.” Theo grinned as he rolled off the bed and walked across the room, his hard dick already slick with precum. “It was actually really…nice? A bit odd, of course, but it does mean we can finally do that thing you talked about.”

“Ahh, rimming!” Corey breathed excitedly, stepping away from the radiator and meeting Theo in the center of the room. He reached for his boyfriend and closed his eyes, head tilting sideways as Theo kissed him hard, their bodies pulling closer. Corey groaned into his mouth when Theo’s hands slid down his torso to rest on his hips, the other chimera thrusting against him, their cocks brushing against each other in a pleasurable collision. He kept his hands on Theo’s muscular arms and glided them upwards along the smooth skin of his neck and face, deepening their kiss. “Mmh.”

“Ahh, Corey.” He whispered when they broke apart, foreheads pressed together. Theo walked slowly backwards until he was sitting on the bed, Corey standing in front of him. The chimera wrapped a hand around Corey’s dick and pumped it up and down, smiling as he heard his boyfriend moan and one of Corey’s hand card through his hair, urging Theo to lean forward and slurp the tip of his dick. “Mmh!”

“Ahhh, Theo!”

“Mmh, tastes good, Corey!” Theo grinned, continuing to jerk him off as he busied his mouth by sucking the head of Corey’s dick inside, his tongue slipping and sliding across the sensitive glans. He could feel his own cock hardening even more and Theo grasped it with his free hand, jerking himself off slowly. Gradually, he was able to fit more of Corey’s thick cock into his mouth, bobbing back and forth along the shaft as Corey groaned and thrust slowly in and out of his hand and past his lips. 

Theo pulled Corey's cock out fully but kept his grip on the shaft as he slid just enough off the bed to allow a better range of motion. Corey moaned loudly as Theo slurped and licked in wide strokes up and down his cock, several times taking the head back inside his mouth before switching to teasing licks and wet slurps from his balls up the shaft. “Ahh!”

“Oh! Ah, Theo!” Corey gripped his hair suddenly and Theo backed off, releasing his cock with a grunt. "That was close! But really good too! Your turn." He gestured for Theo to sit back up on the bed and got down on his knees. Corey reached out for Theo's cock, holding it at the base long enough for him to take as much of it into his mouth as he could in one go. “Mpfh!”

Unlike Theo, Corey had a faster, more aggressive style; bobbing his head up and down, taking Theo's inches down his throat as soon as he felt able. His lips frequently pressed against Theo's shaved naval with a wet sound that made Corey's dick twitch eagerly the more he choked on Theo's cock. Corey sucked him back in after taking a moment to just stroke him, lips wrapping loosely around the shaft as he slid his mouth down the thickness again, cheeks hollowing out.

“Ahhh!” Theo groaned, bucking into his boyfriend's mouth as Corey's cheeks flushed red, contrasting against his otherwise pale skin. The difference made Theo's balls tingle as Corey blew him with confidence, only pulling off right when Theo wanted to bury his cock deep into Corey's throat and start face-fucking him. "Aww, man!"

"Hmm, I like getting you on the edge!" Corey grinned and slid his hands over Theo's muscular thighs until they slipped under his legs and were urging him to lie on his back. "Are you still interested in getting rimmed or do you just want me to fuck you?"

"Oh man, what a question!" Theo groaned needily, his wet cock twitching with his excitement. "Um, yeah, do the rimming, I want to see if it's as enjoyable as it is in porn!"

"That's an experiment I can get behind!" Corey smirked, jerking himself off as Theo rolled onto his back at the end of the bed, leaving his firm, muscular ass cheeks hanging off. "Mmm, looks hot!" Corey moaned, fingers digging into Theo's smooth crack to pull apart the cheeks even more and reveal his hole. "Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun!"

Corey didn't linger just looking at Theo's hole, instead he dove straight in, allowing Theo to hold his legs open as Corey's tongue flicked around the smooth pink slot. He could hear Theo moaning and groaning already above him, the sounds only encouraging Corey to make out with his ass with increasing vigor and enthusiasm. His tongue pushed deep into Theo's ass and the effect seemed to put Theo into overdrive. Corey suppressed the urge to grin and instead held his position, his nose rubbing on the smooth skin between Theo’s ass and balls, eyes closed as he focused on careful licks and gentle kisses. “Mmh!”

"Ahh, Corey! Oooh! It feels so good!" Theo cried out, rocking back and forth as though Corey's tongue was his cock. The sensations were mind-blowing and the knowledge of _where_ Corey was teasing him made Theo's heart pound faster. He let his head roll back onto the bed as Corey pulled his ass further off the end, allowing him to gain easier access to his hole. The slurping sounds, messy and wet, were oddly erotic to Theo and he closed his eyes, losing himself in the sensation. “Oh, yeah! Oh, Corey! Fuck, that’s so hot, Corey!”

“Yeah? Try this out!” Corey pulled back a little, replacing his tongue with his finger, pushing in and out of the loosening pucker rapidly. Once he felt Theo beginning to relax again, Corey added his tongue back into the mix, fingering and rimming his boyfriend, every action drawing louder and more pleasured moans from Theo's throat. He groaned into Theo's ass as he felt his boyfriend reach down for him, hand on his head, eager for more. Corey was likewise eager to oblige, inserting another finger and licking around the digits, losing himself in the frenzy of passion, trying to get Theo to moan louder, longer, higher. _Aw, yeah!_

 

He only pulled back when Theo gently pushed him away and Corey wiped his chin and mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes locked onto the reddish hue of Theo's ass, his hole wet and slick, the sight making his cock twitch and drool. Corey glanced up at him when Theo reached for the bottle of lube on the bedside table. "Thanks." He squirted the lube onto his fingers and moved forward again, this time focusing on stretching Theo more, getting him ready for Corey's thick cock. Two fingers were slipped inside, Theo groaning and grinding against him as Corey smirked. Theo's body arched and his ass clenched around Corey's fingers. "Ok, you're ready and I can't wait any longer!"

"Go for it!" Theo moaned, holding his thighs back again, asshole bared. "Fill up me, Corey, I love your thick cock!"

"That's all I needed to hear!" Corey grinned and lubed up his cock. He half rose into a sitting position, angling his cock at Theo's prepared hole. There was a moment of resistance before the head of Corey's dick was able to slip past the tight rim, Theo's ass pulling him inside. He reached up, seating the first few inches inside Theo's ass, before getting a grip on Theo's thighs, removing the strain from his knees. "You ready?"

"Fuck yes!" Theo groaned, low and horny. He started rocking himself up and down on Corey's dick, using gravity to push his ass lower before pulling it back up. Corey moved in the opposite way, their rhythm speeding up until it was too fast, and Corey slipped out. "Ahh, yeah! Put it in again!” Theo moaned, arching his back as Corey pushed back into him and then pulled all the way out again, repeating the teasing pattern over and over as Theo began jerking himself off. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Wait!"

"What?" Corey blinked at him. "Are you in pain?"

"The opposite." Theo grinned at him, shuffling backwards towards the center of the bed. "I want you up here with me."

"Uh, ok, yeah." Corey nodded, climbing onto the bed as they repositioned. Theo stayed on his back, legs apart, his ass on display as Corey let his cock glide up and down along his crack, precum and lube making it almost frictionless pleasure. He spread Theo's ass cheeks wide and plunged back in without warning. The o-expression his lips formed told Corey that Theo enjoyed the unexpected delight. “Aww, yeah, Theo, I love your ass!”

He started fucking faster now, Theo moaning and groaning, jerking himself off as Corey slammed back and forth into him. Like before, Corey pulled out entirely a few times, enjoying the appearance of Theo's hole; open and gaping. He relished the pushing back in just as much; slipping through the initial tightness and then burying himself in the slick heat just as Theo's brows pulled together and his expression changed to exquisite pleasure, unmatched by anything else imaginable.

"Aww, I'm close, Corey!" Theo gasped as his boyfriend suddenly went still inside him. "No, no, keep going! Keep fucking me! Aw, yeah! Aw, Corey!”

Corey started snapping his hips back and forth, the rapid change in pace enough to push Theo over the edge. “Haha, yeah!” He cried out triumphantly as Theo’s cock exploded with a shower of thick ropes of cum that splattered across his sweat-streaked skin. Corey pulled out quickly, jerking off frantically as his eyes took in Theo’s heaving chest and cum-soaked abs, his asshole open and well fucked, a glaze of precum and lube covering his skin. “Ah! Ah! Ah! Theo, I’m! Ahhh, yeah!” The chimera grunted, shooting his load all across Theo’s crotch and chest. “Ahhhh, yeah!”

“Woah, damn that was good!” Theo breathed hard, grinning as Corey nodded silently and collapsed on top of him. He hugged his boyfriend tight and kissed his temple lovingly. “Aw, yeah, that was so worth it!”

 

“It was not her, I still remember her human face despite the many years it has been since she used it.” The Primus shook his head, seeing Horus nod slowly, his image fraying in the motel’s subpar Wi-Fi. “I wish we could speak in person, for I have confirmed that the traitor is here; his creatures stalk the forest, his touch and methods were present across the victim’s body. I will not let him get away this time!”

“Patience, Primus, patience.” Horus responded calmly, picking up his laptop and walking forward, bright lights washing away the lingering darkness from his surroundings, revealing the dull, monotone interior of a hotel room. “I have found Sobek, and already he is on his way to you; he did not take much convincing.”

“Hmm.”

“Anubis reached out to me as soon as I landed; his eyes are everywhere now, puppets across every continent, some are in these so-called intelligence agencies.” Horus grimaced. “He meddles in human affairs more than I would like; Sobek at least contents himself in merely devouring the menacing hunters that threaten our animal kin.”

“I am aware of what the Guardians have become, Horus.” Connor muttered, shaking his head again. “How far we have deviated from our original purpose as defenders of the kingdom and hunters of the dog-men. But I believe that our crusade here presents us with an opportunity to reclaim that mantle.”

“Meaning?”

“I do not know why this country above all others has so many werewolves, but even here in this town, they have come.” Connor gestured around him. “Several packs converge here; their foul scents can be found across the town, corrupting all they touch; from doctors to police and beyond.”

“Grr!” Horus growled, his eye flashing purple. “Do they work with the traitor? It would not surprise me to find two ancient enemies have formed an alliance!”

“I am unsure.” The Primus looked to one side, remembering his earlier meeting with Liam. “These werewolves have clearly never encountered our kind before, he did not seem to recognize my scent. Or the danger that he was in. These could be diff-”

“He?” The other chimera glared into the camera, cutting Connor off. “What else did this vile dog-man tell you before his death?”

“I did not kill him, it was too public.” Connor shrugged as Horus growled again. “We are not here for them, and despite never having evolved over the millennia, these werewolves are not the same as those that stalked the Old Kingdom.”

“Their foul magick springs from the same source! They are the same beasts that tortured and butchered and turned dozens of our people! Pharaoh’s own son was twisted into their corrupt shape, do you not remember, Primus?”

“Of course I remember, I was there!” He snapped, unwilling to relive the memory for a second time in the same day. “ _I_ was the one who ushered in the birth of the Overmind when the gods responded to our pleas for aid. _I_ was the one who chose Pharaoh’s other son to become the first host to the Overmind. And _I_ was the one who killed the First Wolf, Horus.”

“I meant no disrespect, mighty Tem.” Horus cowed down, lowering his voice. “The traitor must take precedent of course, I only wanted to say that should the werewolves be in league with our enemy, we should eliminate them.”

“If they intercede, none shall live.” Connor agreed with a grimace as phantom pain arced its way up his back. “Speaking of the traitor, he is continuing his experiments and trying to cut open Bastet, I can feel his futile efforts as he fails to pierce her flesh. He is after the essence that flows through our bodies.”

“He cannot attempt to remake The One Who Gathers.” The other chimera scowled, walking back from the laptop to pace around the room, his golden wings brushing against the ceiling. “For a start, the traitor does not have the parts he needs; some of which can only be found in Ka’narack. And our sacred city still slumbers safely beneath the sands. The Guardian of the Ancient World yet protects all our secrets and weapons, Primus, the traitor will have to make do with what he has scrounged up.”

“He has travelled far and wide across this world, perhaps even delving into others,” Connor steepled his fingers, his glowing eyes reflected in the screen. “The risk remains.”

“How goes your interactions with the humans? Is your cover intact?”

“Yes, but one of them is not so human.” Connor smiled, leaning back in his chair. “I believe I have found Cerberus, one of the young guardians of the supernatural. He resides inside a deputy in the Sheriff’s Station. A strange place to find him, certainly, but they are conflicted; two souls unaware of the other.”

“Planning on sorting out another family feud?” Horus asked, a smile touching his lips.

“The human vessel, Parrish, has taken an interest in me.”

“Ah, but is that not something you desire? All your dalliances with the mortal races seem to-”

“We have work to do.” Connor cut across him, shaking his head. “Find Taweret and Anubis, bring them here with Sobek. I do not have time for pleasure when one of our Guardians is in peril.”

“As you command, Primus.” Horus bowed low. “So it shall be done.”

 

Deputy Parrish turned off the engine of his cruiser and unbuckled his belt. He made to grab the coffees that were sitting in a carry carton on the seat beside him before pausing and looking up, uncertainty flashing across his face. “This seemed like a good idea; I know where he’s staying because he said so earlier, and we _do_ have an update, but it’s not like it needs his immediate attention. Damn it, I’m totally coming on too strong. I can’t believe I let the Sheriff talk me into this…” Jordan sighed dejectedly and went to turn on the ignition again before a strange movement caught his eye at the other end of the motel parking lot. “What the hell is that?”

He got out and grabbed his torch, shining it at the place where he could’ve sworn he’d seen a mottled grey arm a moment before. The cop frowned, moving closer before he stopped dead when a savage growl from behind him made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end. Jordan turned around slowly, reaching for his gun as a monster from his nightmares stared him down. Several more were crawling towards him and the motel room Connor was in. 

The creature looked like a werewolf, vaguely; the same ears and eyes and ridged forehead. But that was where the similarities to Scott and Liam ended. These monsters were naked, scaled brutes, their eyes glowing an unnerving silver with pinpricks of black at the center, jaws slack and slavering, large, yellowed fangs hanging down. Their skin was the same mottled grey that Jordan had spotted from the car, strong, burly arms leading down into large, sharp talons. “Oh dear.”

Jordan looked sharply to his right as even more of the monsters appeared, one leaping from the motel roof onto his car. They didn’t walk as humans did; crawling and scampering around on all fours, one of them demonstrating disturbing speed as it rushed past him towards Connor’s room. _Oh no! He’s just a regular hot guy, even with a gun, he won’t be able to fight these things off!_ The panic rushed through him as heat blossomed in his chest and suddenly he experienced a splitting headache as pressure filled his mind almost making him blackout. “Ah!”

Connor’s room door crashed open, pulling Jordan’s attention back to the Marshal. He gaped as the young man dashed out, clearly having been in the middle of preparing for bed; clad in little more than low-riding sweatpants. Connor had his gun out and was pointing it at the nearest monster. _Oh my god, look at that body! So smooth and muscular and-ahh! What I am doing? I gotta help him!_ Jordan felt the world go black as his consciousness was pushed aside and another took over. His uniform exploded in a fireball and the Deputy clobbered the nearby monster to one side with a flaming fist.


	3. Monsters of the Void

The Guardian Primus grunted as soon as he saw the Hellhound emerging in his fiery form and the chimera dropped his gun, unleashing his own claws on the monsters. Connor smiled grimly to himself when the horde of creatures turned and came charging at him, dozens of the scaled, hideous vermin leaping and bounding across the empty parking lot. He felt his eyes glow with purple fire and swiftly lifted his left arm upwards, closing his hand into a fist. The ground to his left side groaned and was ripped asunder by unseen forces, water pipes bursting open as the asphalt and rock twisted into spears to pierce the monsters’ bodies and protect Connor’s flank. 

“Rawrrr!” The Primus roared out, frightening several of the nearest one and causing them to trip over each other in their desperate attempts to get away from him. Yet there were plenty more who rushed towards him, forcing Connor to lash out. The serrated edges of his long claws sliced through their toughened hides as cold blood and black viscera sprayed out everywhere. He was vaguely aware of the increasing air temperature as he whirled and twisted across the battlefield, shredding the monsters with his claws and blocking their escape with sudden walls of rock pulled from the ground. “Yarrr!”

A gout of flame torched the backs of a group that Connor was pivoting towards and he glanced up to see the transformed Deputy Parrish looking at him blankly. “Don’t just stand there, Cerberus, eliminate them!” The Hellhound nodded silently and walked away from him, burning any of the monsters that came close. Connor grunted and turned back to one creature he had managed to get under his heel. The Primus glared into the feral eyes, seeing no trace of human intelligence. _The Craven have returned… That is not good._ He pulled his arm back and stabbed downwards rapidly, severing the monster’s spine, and then he tossed the limp body to one side. 

There was a loud squeaking sound that rang out across the parking lot and the monsters suddenly stopped attacking them. They turned around and retreated into the darkness of the nearby forest with astonishing speed. Cerberus made to follow them, but Connor shook his head, “Hellhound, stop! Good. Now come over here.”

Cerberus rocked to a standstill, his skin still riven with molten cracks, but the fires were beginning to die down when he looked at Connor, a faint expression of confusion on Deputy Parrish’s handsome face. “I…I know you, ancient one, but…my memories…”

“They must be clouded by the vessel you have taken.” Connor nodded slowly, gesturing with his hands as he reformed the parking lot’s asphalt surface. The rock barriers he had risen up were collapsed and he smoothed over the pockets were Cerberus’ fire had melted the tarmac. “Finish burning the bodies and come inside, I need to talk to you both.”

“Yes, ancient one.” Cerberus nodded and began moving from monster to monster, engulfing each in a plume of flame until there was nothing left but ash.

Connor stooped down and picked up his gun, grimacing at the mess of black fluid and weird organic gristle covering his fingers and hands. “Gross.” He glanced around, but the motel was almost completely empty, the manager not even manning the front desk at nights. The remote setting had its advantages too, although the forest was just across the street and Connor was beginning to regret his choice of lodgings. The Primus looked up when Cerberus returned to him and he gestured silently into the motel room. “Come on, you have questions, I imagine, and so do I.”

 

After cleaning the worst of the creatures’ blood and gore off his hands, face, and torso, Connor came back out into the main room to find Cerberus standing where he had left him just inside the door. The chimera sighed and finished drying his hands, “Tell me, Hellhound, what are your last memories before you came to possess this vessel?”

“Fire and pain, ancient one.” The voice was less of a snarl now, more like the crackle of wood in a stove. His eyes were still burning like twin orange suns, but his naked form was clad in ash and smoke instead of flame and fury. “A great pit, deep under the earth, and then I was wrenched from my holdings and thrust upwards into this world. Then…fire and the taste of death, a sudden bloom of pain and life crashing into each other. And then, then I was here, stranded in these mortal bonds of flesh and blood.”

“And you have been drawn to this place, this town, haven’t you?”

“This vessel…he had skills, things I used and needed to cross this world; for I started in harsh deserts far from here.” Cerberus looked down at his hands and then up at Connor. “I was pulled here, ancient one, why?”

“You are a guardian of the secrets of the supernatural, you protect it in the same way that I protect the secrets of the chimera and Overmind.” The Primus explained, pouring water into a glass. “There are certain events, certain triggers, that cause a Hellhound to rise. Some are lesser guardians, though you are not of these; you have existed for a long time. For you to rise now, to come _here_ , this tells me that the secret must be at grave risk indeed.”

“Why do I not remember my past life, ancient one?”

“You will,” Connor took a drink and then pointed at him. “As soon as the vessel remembers his death; for that is how you have been bonded to him, and he to you. But be warned, Cerberus, those memories are dangerous; humans do not like feeling their mortality.”

“Hmm.”

“I want to speak with Deputy Parrish now, explain some of this to him.” The Guardian Primus nodded reassuringly as Cerberus hesitated. “If we ever need to speak again, I’ll just call you forth, as you know I can.”

“Very well.” Cerberus grunted, the glow of his eyes fading.

 

Gradually, Jordan became aware of his surroundings, the last few minutes were confused and hazy, images passing by in a slow blur of fighting and fire and…monsters! “Ahh!”

“Relax, Deputy.”

“Huh?” Jordan blinked and swallowed hard as his vision cleared and he found the strong gaze of the Federal Marshal looking back at him. He wetted his lips, finding reassurance and calm in the man’s dark eyes, but as Jordan became even more aware of his surroundings, he felt a stray wind cross the bare swell of his buttocks. _Oh no, I’m naked. Again. Those monsters, were they real? Did they trigger the…thing?_ “Uh, hi.”

“Good, you’re back.” Connor smiled and patted his shoulder, before turning away. “We have much to discuss.”

“Uh, yeah…” Jordan agreed, his eyes trailing down Connor’s shirtless body. _Like what the hell happened? And why am I naked? And why are you so damn hot?! Mmmh, answers can wait!_ Connor’s skin was as flawless and smooth as the Deputy had imagined it would be, muscles defined and abs visible from the side. But there were also what looked like traces of dirt or goop or some black liquid smeared across his body. Jordan looked down abruptly as he felt his cock stir into life and groaned when he saw that all he was wearing was smoke and ash. He glanced around hurriedly and grabbed a nearby cushion, pressing it against his crotch as Connor turned back to him, offering a glass of water. “Oh, err, thanks.”

“It can be very dehydrating being a Hellhound, you should make sure you get enough fluids inside your body.” Connor said, watching to make sure Jordan drank up.

 _Oh, I’d like to get your fluids inside my-_ “Err, what did you call me?!” Jordan spluttered, his horny thoughts cast aside. “Hellhound?”

“That’s what you are.” Connor replied calmly, walking over to his suitcase to pull out a t-shirt. He put it on and smiled at Jordan’s expression. “I’m guessing that no one told you that, huh?”

“I…uh, you know about the supernatural?”

“I know about many things.” Connor said with another smile. “And there is time to discuss those things later. For now, I need you and Cerberus-your Hellhound avatar-to start speaking to each other. You must become one mind, easily shifting from one form to the next.”

“What happened out there?” Jordan asked, images coming back to him of the monsters that he had spotted a few minutes before. _Connor was shirtless and had a gun!_ “I…you came outside and…uh.”

“The Devil Doctor is a crafter of supernatural creatures,” Connor spoke carefully, grabbing a pair of sweat pants and a loose vest from his suitcase. “Here, put these on, they _should_ fit you, the pants might be a little tight. But I don’t think it’s fair that you’re just wearing a cushion. Plus, it’s very distracting!”

“Huh?!” Jordan’s brows shot up along with his pulse when he saw Connor’s smirk. “Um, thanks.” He moved over to the breakfast bar and tossed the cushion back onto the seat, using the countertop to hide his half-hard dick as he changed into the clothes. “Uh, so the Devil Doctor is really a Dread Doctor, that’s what you mean, right?”

“You’ve encountered them, then?”

“Yeah, just spent the past few weeks fighting a massive Werewolf Nogitsune that their leader made.” Jordan pulled the grey vest over his head, frowning when he saw the lack of a reaction from Connor. “Do you know-”

“A combination of two of the foulest creatures in existence?” Connor spat, his expression twisting into disgust. “It sounds like their work…their leader, what do you call him?”

“Err, the Surgeon? But don’t worry, he’s dead.” Jordan leaned on the countertop, making sure he angled his arms in such a way as to make his biceps look bigger. “It’s the Pathologist and the Geneticist that are left, Theo said that the first one is male and the second one is female, so, I’m guessing that your ‘Devil Doctor’ is the Pathologist.”

“Yeah.”

“And I’m also guessing you’re not a Federal Marshal, huh?” Jordan grinned as Connor shrugged silently. “I knew it! No one so young and hot could be a Fed! Err, that came out wrong…”

“Indeed?” Connor smirked as Jordan flushed under the ash and smoke that covered his skin. “I have my reasons for finding the Pathologist; he, uh, he took one of my friends and I intend on getting her back.”

“Her, huh?”

“Bastet has been among my oldest and most loyal friends for…a very long time.” Connor answered as Jordan perked up again. “I value her advice and would have her claws at my side above any others, but friends is all that we are.”

“So, what _are_ you?” Jordan swallowed hard when Connor arched a brow. “Um, that was blunt…what kind of-”

“I am a Guardian, the Guardian Primus in fact; their leader.” Connor stood up, taking a deep breath. “And…I am an immortal. I do not die, I do not age, unless I want to.”

“Woah.” Jordan wetted his lips and he came out from behind the breakfast bar, arousal forgotten as he looked at Connor with fresh eyes. “And your abilities?”

“Cerberus, your other self, saw them outside, let him tell you.”

“How do I do that?” Jordan frowned as Connor’s gaze went faraway, a faint smile lingering on his lips. “Connor?”

 

**Two thousand eight hundred years ago, Eleusis, Greece.**

“I do not like him.” Bastet purred, tapping her long, thin claws on the arm of the chair. 

“Of course not, he _is_ a dog.” The Primus laughed, gesturing at the massive three-headed dog sitting in the middle of the audience chamber, the slobbering jowls towering over them. “But he is an innovation and a useful one if we want to get the help of these lesser gods and their minions.”

“The traitor did go this way, Anubis is certain.” Sobek nodded, turning his long snout to look at them. “It would be wise, Bastet, to get access to these lands without a battle.”

“Why a dog though?”

“Cerberus shall be his name.” The Primus declared, ignoring her barb as he pulled out a flask of crystalline rock. An angry ball of fire and smoke rattled inside, exploding and reforming over and over as it tried to escape. “Bring forth the first to be bonded!”

“Here he is,” Sobek moved forward, bringing a young man with him. The youth was muscular and well developed, his noble face and strong jaw catching the Primus’ attention. “He is drawn from the noble house on this island, they were very willing once the benefits were explained.”

“Good.” The Primus gestured for the man to stand in between the three-headed dog’s large paws. “Now be still.” He twisted both ends of the flask and released the fiery ball, drawing it into his hand in slow gesture before thrusting it out towards the youth. “First of your kind, but not of your race, take a grain of immortality and serve as guardian of the underworld!”

There was a sudden flash of brilliant white light and a long slow scream that turned into a deep, furious howl. Black smoke filled the audience chamber and the chimera waited until the angry, red explosions had past before he waved his hand again, clearing the smoke away. “Behold, Cerberus! A melding of man and god and sacred fire, you shall guide us to the traitor’s lair!”

 

 **Present Day.**

“Connor? Dude, are you alright?!”

“Hmm?” The Primus snapped out of his memories and looked up at Parrish, seeing his concerned expression linger, the Deputy’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine, just remembering the answer to your question.”

“Oh, uh, you spaced out.” Parrish backed away from him and sat on the bed as Connor paced slowly in front of him. “So, I need to, um, talk to my other half?”

“Cerberus, yes.” Connor nodded, stopping in front of Parrish. He took a deep breath and extended his left arm until his hand was a few inches from the Deputy’s puzzled expression. 

“Um-”

“Hold still, listen to my voice and close your eyes.” The Primus spread his fingers and angled them downwards until they rested against Parrish’s face. “Now, concentrate. Find the center of your body, your very core, deep in your chest. There’s a weightiness there, right?”

“Um, uh, yeah, actually.”

“Push into it with your thoughts, feel it move and shift and heat up.” Connor whispered, his voice low and hushed. “Concentrate until you feel the fire pushing forth…wait…wait…ah, now do you feel it?”

“I…” Parrish wetted his lips and Connor could feel his muscles tense. “This is weird.”

“You need to embrace Cerberus, he’s going to reach for you, and you need to let him pull you into his magma grasp.” 

“He’s…I…ah!” Parrish’s eyes flew open, orange balls of fire blooming at their centers as Connor pulled his hand away. When the Deputy spoke, his voice was both his own and Cerberus’, a growl enhancing his words. “Everything is becoming a lot clearer now.”

“Good.” Connor turned away, walking over to refill his glass of water. “Tell me, since you did not know your nature before this, what did you think you were?”

“Um, a fire wolf?”

“Haha,” The Primus laughed and looked back at him. “You are far more special than a mere werewolf.”

“Hmm, but there is a werewolf you should meet; Scott McCall, the local Alpha.” Deputy Parrish got to his feet, the fire in his eyes fading as his voice returned to normal. “Especially with new monsters on the loose, he needs to know.”

“And what manner of werewolf is he?” Connor’s expression grew hard. “How many has he bitten or bred to swell his numbers?”

“Uh, he only has one werewolf, Liam, and Theo said that apparently Liam was bitten by accident.”

“Accident.” The Primus repeated with a dark mutter. “You haven’t answered my first question.”

“He’s a good guy, saved the town a couple of times, he’s still in high school too.” Parrish frowned at him. “I’m getting the impression that you don’t like werewolves?”

“No, I do not.” Connor looked at him after a moment of thought. “I have met many packs of werewolves and barely a handful have managed to suppress their savage nature long enough to…You say that this one is a hero, yes? Hmm, I would like to get the measure of him myself.” _And see if he sits upon a throne of skulls as his brethren do._

“Um, sure?” Parrish replied uncertainly. “I’ll ask Theo to set a meeting up.”

“Who is this Theo that you trust so much?”

“He’s my…friend.” The Hellhound chewed his lip for a moment before shrugging. “It’s complicated.”

“Everything always is.” Connor sighed, gesturing at him. “You’re still covered in smoke and ash from the battle, best to clean up before you leave. You can use the shower in there.”

“Yeah, ok, um, Connor, I noticed that you’re pretty dirty too!” Parrish smirked at him and casually folded his arms across his chest. “You wanna…conserve some water?!”

“Hmm,” The Primus returned the smirk and ran his gaze over Parrish’s body with an appreciative eye before he shook his head. “Tempting, but not right now.”

 

"Oh, ok. Wait, hang on!" Jordan cried out, more memories of the recent battle flashing through his mind, replacing his horniness. "You fought the monsters off just now, I’m remembering. Uh, you called them ‘The Craven’, right?”

“I have faced such creatures before, the Pathologist seems to have perfected them this time around.” Connor shrugged. “More will come and in greater number, they were just testing my strength.”

“Huh, that’s not reassuring. Even if your…strength is really impressive.” Jordan muttered, more images rolling through his mind’s eye. He looked sharply at Connor as the Guardian sipped his water. “You had claws, and power, and…I saw you move the earth. What exactly can you do?”

"Terrakinetics, yes," Connor answered with a nod. "It's one of my special abilities."

"One?"

"Each Guardian has an ability that matches their role in the pantheon; to us they are known as magicks. And not your pointy-hatted Patronus ones either." He explained as Jordan's brow furrowed. "Taweret for example, can open a window into the past, seeing all that ever occurred in a specific place, like this motel room."

"Hookers and depression, I'm sure."

"Sobek meanwhile," Connor continued, ignoring him. "is able to creep up on his foes without them noticing; invisibility. Anubis can track anything or anyone from one end of the Earth to the other. Horus, the Falcon Knight, controls the air and clouds above, calling on their elemental fury in battle. And, Bastet is the Mistress of Beasts, receiving aid from wild animals when needed."

"And you can move the dirt, that's, um, kinda lame." Jordan mumbled, confused by Connor's smile. "You can do something else?"

"From earth we come and earth we return to; I am able to tap into the creative forces of the world and, hmm, bend them to my will.” He shrugged. "More than that you do not need to know; we are the first chimera but-"

"Chimera?!" Jordan cut across him excitedly. "Then you _have_ to meet Theo! He's a chimera too! The Dread Doctors made him and a bunch of kids into them, I'm sure they'd be really interested in meeting you!"

"Really? Perhaps."

“Hmm,” Parrish walked over to the bathroom door and paused, turning back to Connor as he stripped off the borrowed vest. “You’re not twenty-five, are you? You’re way too confident and knowledgeable.”

“I don’t count the years, all I know is that I am as old as I am now.” Connor answered cryptically. “Though I am capable of changing my appearance to make myself appear older or younger.”

“Oooh, cool!”

 

“Right, so then I was-tsk!” Corey broke off his story as Liam sat down with his lunch across from them. The chimera frowned at his uninvited presence. “What do you want?”

“Corey,” Theo chided his boyfriend gently. “Be nice.”

“Well, we’re having a private conversation!”

“Um, not really.” Liam said, his cheeks tinged with pink. “It’s not really private since I could hear you from across the cafeteria.”

“I thought you weren’t meant to use your werewolf powers in school.” Theo pointed out.

“Scott said not to use them to cheat at lacrosse, like I needed to!” Liam smirked at them before noticing Corey’s blank expression and he sobered up. “Ahem, but Scott never said anything about not using my abilities to make school easier! It’s a loophole.”

“Hmm.” Theo frowned. “It’s not exactly nice though, Liam, listening to everyone’s conversations.”

“Exactly.” Corey nodded, looking over Liam’s head as Stiles began to make his way towards them. _Oh god, not another double date!_ “But I assume you did actually want something?”

“You’re talking about Connor Kern, right? The Federal Marshal?” Liam said, standing up when Stiles got to them. He kissed his boyfriend in welcome and then sat back down as they both came under Corey’s unimpressed stare. “Uh, Stiles was asking his Dad about him, and I actually met him yesterday.”

“How?”

“At the hospital, I was dropping off my step-dad something to eat and there was a Code Blue, and that’s when-”

 _Oh my god, get on with it! I don’t need your whole life story, Liam!_ Corey managed to suppress his irritated thoughts as Liam rambled on for another minute about the emergency codes, explaining it to them as if Corey had never seen a TV hospital drama before. He felt Theo’s hand on his forearm under the table, the reassuring gesture tamping down his impatience. “Right, ok, Liam, I understand about every doctor having to go.”

“Well, it’s not every doctor! There’s a-”

“Liam,” Stiles cut across him as gestured with his fork. “Just get to the point before Corey explodes and takes everyone in the cafeteria with him.”

“Oh, sorry.” The werewolf shrugged. “So, yeah, I met the Fed, he looked kinda familiar actually, really niggled at me all night. But then when in World History this morning, I realized he just looks like one of those Renaissance statues, like, noble and, uh, stuff.”

“We’re not even doing that unit.” Corey looked at him suspiciously as Liam turned bright red. “Huh, I suppose it’s art instead of porn if all the naked men are made from marble and have a vase nearby!”

“Really, Liam?” Stiles smirked at him and then leaned in to whispered something in his ear that made Liam’s eyes widen and Theo cough uncomfortably. “But you have to tell Corey the rest of your story first.”

“Um, uh, right, right.” Liam muttered, losing the thread of his words. “Um.”

“You were in the hospital, looking at the Greek God that is Connor.” Corey prompted. “And then?”

“Oh, well, he was kinda standoffish, like for a few minutes he just went silent and looked off into the distance.” Liam chewed his lip as he glanced to one side. “But then he came back, and I just got this…feeling, like I was next to someone, I don’t know, powerful? It sounds weird now, but he just had a lot of presence. His scent was fine, well, it was pretty faint actually, he kinda smelt like the beach; dry sand, you know?”

“Huh.”

“I asked my Dad about him.” Stiles added when Liam finished his story. “Apparently the Marshal is part of a task force to hunt down and arrest a serial killer by the name of-get this- the Devil Doctor!”

“Oh yeah, that doesn’t sound like anyone we know.” Corey grimaced as Theo frowned thoughtfully. “Your Dad say anything else, Stiles?”

“Just to butt out and that it was police business until the Feds leave.” He sighed. “I’m talking to Scott in our free period next class, but if there’s more agents coming, we don’t want to get them killed by the Pathologist. It’d look bad on the annual report!”

“Um, uh huh.” Liam mumbled, staring at Stiles. “Are you…can we…?”

“Ugh, just go.” Corey waved the air between them dramatically. “I can’t smell it, but I bet the arousal level is off the charts!”

“Ok, bye!” Liam cried out and grabbed Stiles’ hand, dragging him away towards the parking lot.

 

“You should try and get along with him better, Corey.” Theo said as they got up to leave. “I know you’re still a bit pissed off at Liam for killing me on the bridge in the forest that one night.”

“Uh, yeah!”

“But I’m able to take a killing blow and live,” He smiled at his boyfriend’s furrowed brows. “It’s just part of my abilities; like your invisibility and Tracy’s venomous claws. And besides, you weren’t angry at Josh when he electrocuted me the week after the rescue.”

“That was an accident, he didn’t know how to control himself yet.” Corey protested. “Liam killed you in cold blood.”

“Well, that may be so.” Theo shrugged uncomfortably. “But, like it or not, Scott’s pack are our allies, we need to be able to work together and that starts with being civil.”

“Yes, Theo.” Corey groaned, trying to avoid another long debate about making supernatural friends. “Can we talk about Connor and Parrish instead?”

“What? Why?”

“Because I thought we both agreed to try and hook them up?!” Corey said, excitement creeping back into his voice. “C’mon, it’ll be fun! And let’s face it, Parrish has probably had really bad blue balls since you turned him down!”

“Corey!” Theo sighed and threw his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders as the younger chimera sniggered. “I swear, you just try to shock me sometimes with what comes out of that cute mouth of yours.”

“Well, at least I’m not trying to publicly bone you in the parking lot.” Corey pointed towards Stiles’ blue Jeep which was rocking back and forth on its axels, the windows fogged up. “Who wants to bet they’re gonna get detention when Mrs Flemming figures out that it’s not just another day at the wacky Beacon Hills School for Madness and Monsters?!”

“I don’t want to be here for that takedown…” Theo groaned and covered his eyes as Corey laughed and guided him past the small groups of students who had been drawn by the commotion. “So embarrassing!”

“Ok, we’re clear.” Corey smirked as they walked onto the empty soccer field nearby. “So, Parrish?”

“Yeah, alright, you’re probably right about him.” Theo shrugged, pacing back and forth. “But I’m not sure how we set them up exactly. I guess we could…get them both to Sinema and…I could be Parrish’s wingman?”

“Good idea.” Corey nodded. “I haven’t been to the club forever, ooooh, we could make it a pack night instead of movie night this week!”

“You think the others would like that?”

“Yeah!” 

“Oh, ok, well, that should actually help things,” Theo nodded slowly, the plan coming to him. “It’ll be a lot easier to get Parrish to come out if he thinks that there’s a group of us going. I’m not sure about how we get Connor to go though.”

“Maybe, hmm, maybe if we make him think that there’s evidence of his fugitive there?” Corey suggested. “What if he thinks that there’s someone who knows something, it can be a bust, but while he’s _there_ , Parrish can come over and they can get it onnnn!”

“Sure, Corey.” Theo laughed, rolling his eyes as his boyfriend did a little dance, twerking his ass suggestively. “It’s a good plan.”

“Oh, but first, Theo, you have to make sure he’s not a secret supernatural.” Corey said. “Parrish doesn’t need another complication in his life.”

“Hmm, ok, I can get a read on his aura from a good distance; like from here to the bleachers.” Theo gestured, standing in the middle of the field. “His aura should be without a glow if he’s human, werewolves are green, other chimeras are blue, the kitsunes that we’ve met all have a white aura, Malia had that nice golden color, and then Hellhounds are red…I think we should be able to figure out if he’s a supernatural with our own little United Nations of Supers!”

“I don’t get it.” Corey looked blankly at him as Theo sighed. “What?”

“Uh, never mind, just meet me after class and we’ll go to the station.” Theo started to walk back towards the school. “I’ll catch a glimpse of him whenever they come out or go in.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

 

“Ah! There he is!” Corey hissed into his ear as Theo looked up from his phone. They were standing next to his truck on the opposite side of the street as though about to leave. “Do you see him?”

“Yeah, hang on.” Theo muttered. He watched as a handsome young man emerged from the station, flanked by Deputy Parrish and the Sheriff. Connor’s expression was hard to read, somewhere between frustration and impatience as he gestured at the Sheriff. _Huh, guess the investigation isn’t going well. Ok, time to see what he is…Oh, what? What the hell is he?_

“Well?” Corey prompted after a few seconds. “What do you see?”

“The Sheriff is still glowless, Parrish has that hot red around him,” Theo whispered, shaking his head. “And Connor, well, he _is_ glowing.”

“What?!”

“It’s purple; deep, royal purple. I’ve never seen anything like it before, Corey.” The chimera bit his lip and then turned away as the officers got into their cars, driving in the same direction towards the forest. “What do you think we should do?”

“Well,” Corey hummed under his breath, turning to Theo after a moment. “He’s still hot! So, they should totally hook up! And…I do really want a club night, Theo!”


	4. The Primus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating this story sooner, it's been pretty crazy busy these last few weeks. Hope to get the next chapter up later next week or early the following week.

Connor took a deep breath as he looked up at the stars and moon above him, the night sky was a cloudless dome of inky purple and brilliant pinpricks of light. A faint breeze whispered through the parking lot and ruffled the stiff tips of his gelled up hair, pulling at his open jacket as the Guardian Primus waited for the others to arrive. He wasn’t nervous exactly, but it had been many decades since all the Guardians had gathered in one place, driven apart by internal squabbling and stagnation of their eternal duty. Connor wetted his lips and began to pace slowly back and forth, glancing up at the sky every few seconds. Horus would be the first to arrive, after Bastet, the chimera was the most reliable, the one most likely to respond to the Primus’ call for assistance.

Almost as though thinking of him caused the chimera to appear, there was a gentle rustle of wings above him and Horus glided into the parking lot. Connor smiled, watching his broad wings of gold extend, the silver feathers stretching out fully to arrest his speed, allowing him to land gracefully. Horus came closer before dropping to one knee in front of Connor. “Glory to you, Primus.”

“Glory.” Connor murmured the traditional response and offered his hand, helping Horus to stand. “How was your flight?”

“Uneventful.” Horus glanced around carefully, his glowing purple gaze taking in the shabby façade of the motel and the lone brightly lit room behind Connor. “This place is safe?”

“Deserted, I booked out the other rooms so we wouldn’t be disturbed, and the manager leaves at sunset.” He explained, turning towards the road when he heard the throaty rumble of a motorcycle. “Anubis?” 

“Who else would drive something so obnoxiously loud?” Horus grunted, standing behind Connor, his extra height and girth granted by his wings being used to project an intimidating aura over the Guardian Primus. The chimera crossed his arms and his expression darkened as they waited for Anubis to join them. 

“Relax, no need for you to get protective.” Connor motioned vaguely with his hand. “Remember that we are close to finding the traitor and getting our revenge. We do not have time for petty rivalries.”

“As you say, Primus.”

“Hmm.” He smiled, hearing the reluctance in Horus’ voice. Connor stepped out of the winged chimera’s shadow as the loud roar of the approaching motor bike was abruptly muted and Anubis pulled into the parking lot, stopping next to Connor’s car. 

Anubis stepped off, removing his helmet to reveal a handsome youth with raven black hair and a devious smile. The chimera took off his leather gloves and jacket, leaving him in a tight dark vest, his body slim and toned. Anubis walked over to Connor, kneeling before him as Horus had done moments before. “Guardian Primus, it has been too long, glory to the Overmind.”

“Glory.” Connor replied, indicating with one hand that he could stand. Once the greeting was complete, the Primus smiled at him. “It is good to see you, old friend. I hear you have been keeping busy?”

“Ever on the lookout for our ancient enemies, but it seems you have found this one before me.” Anubis shrugged, his gaze skipping past Horus’ disapproving glare. “I think the traitor changed something fundamental about himself after we nearly captured him and his colleagues in the USSR.”

“That is obvious.” Horus barked, squaring up against him as Anubis rolled his eyes and flicked out his sharp claws. His wings flared out aggressively in response. “Hah, don’t even think you can match me!”

“Enough.” Connor sighed, weariness already tugging at him. “There is too much to do and too much to tell for you two to resume your disagreements. Besides, I can feel Sobek arriving, his strength will be welcome in our rescue efforts to come.”

“I can feel it too.” Horus nodded with a satisfied smirk. “If nothing else, I will be glad to have the boost in our power.”

“We will need it to fight the Craven.” The Primus looked over his shoulder at them, seeing surprise flash across their faces, anger forgotten. “The traitor has rebuilt them; as strong as before though they seem more numerous than in the past. He must have found a fresh harvest site to raise more, they escaped into the forest so we should probably start searching there. See if we can’t find the corpse pile, hmm?”

“Well, that’s something to look forward to.” Anubis muttered darkly, standing next to Connor, their shoulders not quite touching. “There is much else I need to tell you, Primus, _alone._ ”

“Hmph.” 

“In good time,” Connor replied, ignoring the grunt from the winged chimera behind them. He pointed at the road, a sleek green sports car rolling into the lot and stopping alongside the rest of their vehicles. “Sobek.”

“Guardian Primus!” A rich, deep voice boomed out, followed swiftly by a short, well built man in his mid-twenties. Sobek grinned at them, his teeth a white gleam as muscles rippled under his green patterned shirt, clever eyes darting over the group. He approached Connor and offered the Primus an elaborate bow. “Glory to you, mighty Tem! May the Nile part at your fingertips and the sun burn at your command!”

“Glory.” Connor muttered, feeling his cheeks heat as the bow continued for a few seconds longer than was comfortable. “Ok, that’s enough.”

“Of course, Primus, of course. I am simply overjoyed to be among the Guardians again!” Sobek grinned wider and shuffled off to one side, looking around the motel’s empty lot. “No humans here? Can I remove the magick and see you with my true eyes?”

“No, we are alone, but this road has the occasional passer-by,” Connor shook his head. “Please maintain the illusion spell until we are inside, we do not want to draw attention to ourselves just yet.”

“As you command, great and powerful Tem!” Sobek bowed again before he locked his car with a click. “So, we are just waiting on Taweret?”

“She is almost among us. I can feel her presence approaching.” Connor whispered, closing his eyes as a wave of intense energy rolled over his body and stretched between them. His senses were crisper than before, bolstered by the presence of the other Guardians, his abilities refreshed and renewed. _Ah, there._ The Primus opened his eyes suddenly as the air in front of them shimmered and buckled, parting cleanly as a doorway of purple and black flames tore a hole in reality. The twisted image of the desert sands and fallen statues behind Taweret faded from view along with the doorway, leaving only the hippopotamus-headed woman standing in the parking lot.

Colorful beads were draped around her neck and an elaborate dress flowed down her torso as Taweret knelt in front of Connor, her arms held wide apart, hands offered upwards. “Glory to you, Tem, greatest of the Guardians! I am honored to be standing in your presence once more.”

“As I am honored to have you by my side.” Connor replied warmly, gesturing for the chimera to stand. He took a deep breath and looked at the group, seeing his own determined expression mirrored on their faces. “You can feel it too? Chills across your skin and a bounty of power at our fingertips.”

“It has been much too long since the Guardians last came together as one group.” Horus smiled, stretching his wings for a moment before folding them up. “Our strength is almost absolute! The traitor cannot hope to stand against us! And neither will the dog-men that corrupt this place.”

“We need to rescue Bastet first.” Anubis reminded him, gesturing towards the motel. “I’ve made some interesting discoveries through my network; discoveries that give some insight as to why the traitor has come here and what sources of power he might hope to harness.”

“Good, let’s go.” Connor nodded, turning to look out at the edge of the forest across the road, suspicious eyes sweeping over the trees and fallen logs. _I could have sworn I felt something familiar, and there is a scent on the wind, mingled, but I have smelt it before._

“Primus?” Sobek caught his attention. “Is something wrong, master?”

“You are the stealthiest of us all,” Connor replied, glancing at him. “Can you detect if we are being watched? Is there some…creature that the traitor has deployed against us?”

“Perhaps.” Sobek responded after a moment of silent concentration. “I can tell you for certain if I drop the illusion spell.”

“No, I can hear a truck coming.” Connor shook his head as he looked back towards the treeline. A faint shimmer in the air made him pause, but after a moment of staring at it, he shrugged. “Come, we have much to discuss, assuming Horus and Anubis haven’t restarted their war again.”

“Fighting already?” Sobek smirked, following Connor towards the motel room. “Well, with luck, their disagreements won’t be as…explosive as last time.”

“I believe Anubis’ defense was that he didn’t know the zeppelin was full of combustible gas.” Connor sighed, running a hand through his hair. “That wasn’t much comfort to the people of Lakehurst, of course.”

“I remember, Primus!” Sobek replied and gestured for him to walk ahead. "I lost a lot of stock in the airship market that day."

 

“Did he see you?!” Theo hissed at Corey from behind the log, his boyfriend having stopped dead when Connor and the other man started looking at them. “Corey?”

“No. No, I think we’re good.” Corey replied, stepping back and crouching next to Theo before he let his form become visible again. “It was close though, I felt like he was looking right at me.”

“Yeah…he’s definitely something other than a human. And that group? I got chills just looking at them.” Theo muttered, showing his phone to the other chimera. “See? I took photos of those others and when they weren’t paying attention, I aura-checked them.”

“And?”

“Purple auras, just like his.”

“Ok, so there’s more of…whatever he is.” Corey chewed his lower lip and glanced at Theo. “Did you see the last of them to arrive?”

“That was a hippopotamus, yeah.” Theo replied slowly, smirking suddenly when Corey breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry, you’re not crazy; that was a hippo’s head on a woman’s body.”

“Have you ever seen anything like that before?”

“No, maybe Scott or Stiles would know more?” Theo suggested. “They’ve been dealing with all sorts of crazy things for the past few years. We should ask them.”

“Yeah, ok, but,” Corey hesitated, sneaking a glimpse of the now empty motel parking lot. “But why are they here? They obviously want to find the Pathologist, based on what Jordan said about Connor, but are they friendly or not?”

“He seems pretty friendly and Jordan said that he was really nice.” Theo mused, slipping his phone into his pocket. “I met him earlier when I went to ask Jordan about going back to my old town and sorting out my parents’ affairs. Connor said hi and then he, uh…”

“He looked at you, right?” Corey supplied, nodding along with Theo. “Yeah, he did the same thing to me; just this long calculating look and it was like something-”

“Clicked.” Theo finished with a frown when his boyfriend agreed. “Maybe he’s a chimera? Like, the Dread Doctors did go to other places and perform experiments on other people. So, Connor and his friends could be like, uh, proto-chimeras out for revenge or something?”

“Hmm, maybe.” Corey stood up and held out his hand to Theo. “They’re inside the room now, we’d have to get a lot closer to listen in, but that’s pretty risky.”

“Agreed.” Theo used Corey’s offered arm to pull himself up. “Especially if you think he almost caught you just now. Let’s go back to the hotel, get some room service, figure out our next move.”

“Mmh, I like rich Theo!” Corey grinned and kissed his boyfriend as the older chimera rolled his eyes. “Keep treating me like this and I’m gonna get used to the high-roller lifestyle!”

“Yeah, yeah, c’mon, cute stuff!” Theo hugged Corey to him as they walked through the forest towards the access road where he had left his truck. “Apparently my Dad got in early with some tech start-up that’s finally turning a profit; he has all these stocks and dividends and stuff I don’t understand.”

“Oh, cool.”

“Yeah, I asked Coach Finstock if he’d explain the terms to me,” Theo said as Corey nodded. “So, I’ve got extra Econ tomorrow after school.”

“On a Friday? Yikes!” Corey groaned before he suddenly brightened up. “But hey, at least you can kick back with the pack at Sinema!”

“Do you think we should really go through with that after seeing all the other, err, after Connor’s friends just showed up?” 

“Operation Bonetown is a go, Theo!” Corey responded sternly, wagging a finger in his boyfriend’s face. “You said that two days ago and I’m not letting us go back to movie night!”

“Ok, ok.” Theo laughed, holding up his hands in protest. “We’ll go to the club, I’ll bring Jordan, and if you can convince Connor to come and, well, maybe we’ll learn more about him.”

“Yeah, like what he looks like with his shirt off! I bet he’s jacked!”

“Corey!” 

“Sorry.” Corey hung his head but then shot Theo a devilish smirk. “Could be Jordan ending up shirtless too; out on the dancefloor, grinding and moving and sweaty and-”

“Ok, stop it.” Theo frowned as an itch formed in-between his shoulder blades, the sensation of someone watching them. He glanced around cautiously. “There’s…”

“I’m just saying that Connor looks pretty buff and we _know_ Jordan is all sorts of smooth muscle fanta-oof!” Corey was cut off as Theo pulled him close and crushed the palm of his hand across his mouth and chin. The younger chimera’s eyes darted around frantically, and he cloaked them both instinctively.

Moments later, dozens of dark, monstrous shapes crashed through the forest around them, smashing aside trees and bushes, scaly bodies catching stray moonbeams and revealing their horrifying nature. The chimeras stayed still, and the creatures continued moving, disappearing deeper into the forest until at last the teenagers were alone again. Theo was the first to recover, stepping away from Corey and flicking out his claws. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah, I, uh, yeah.” Corey mumbled, shaking as he stayed close to Theo. “What the hell were those things?”

“They didn’t look like werewolves and they didn’t move like them.” Theo slipped his hand into Corey’s own and gestured for them to go. “C’mon, let’s get out of here before they come back.”

“Did you count them? There must have been twenty, right?”

“I lost count at thirty-two.” Theo muttered. “We better tell the others: the forest isn’t safe at night anymore.”

“Was it ever?” 

 

Connor blinked rapidly, his eyes watering as they adjusted to the abrupt transformation of his fellow Guardians, their human faces and heads falling away to reveal their true form; animal eyes peering back at him, an array of sharp and blunt teeth lining their mouths as each stretched and yawned. The Primus rubbed his eyes, stars exploding behind closed lids until his mind no longer felt as though it was being turned inside out. “Feeling better, everyone?”

“Much.” Anubis nodded, his jackal ears stiffening to attention. “Wait.”

“Hear something?”

“No, just checking.”

“Hmm, well, now that we’re all comfortable, grab a seat.” Connor gestured aimlessly at the motel room’s drab furnishings. “And let us begin.”

“How goes the search for Bastet?” Horus asked, folding his wings behind his back as he sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed next to Sobek, the sleek plumage of his falcon head gleaming in the dull light. “Are you any closer to finding her location? And that of the traitor?”

“Unfortunately not,” Connor grumbled. “He must be using some form of alchemy or science to block me, otherwise I could trace the phantom pains back to the source. I was hoping that you would have better luck, Anubis.”

“Hmm, there is…something,” The dog-headed chimera frowned. “Something close by, but hard to pin down. Like you say, Primus, something is blocking our abilities.”

“Then what can we do?” Sobek turned his head to one side, a beady crocodile’s eye watching them. “Trust these humans that you have been working with, Primus?”

“They have some leads and they are not all human.”

“Indeed,” Horus spoke up. “There is a pack of dog-men here, they must be-”

“If they interfere, we will deal with them.” Connor talked over him quickly. “We must not lose track of our goals; one small pack is nothing compared to finally catching the traitor and making him pay for what he has done!”

“So, how will you explain our presence to the Sheriff and his men?”

“I already informed him that you would be coming; the, uh, the rest of the team that the Marshals are sending.” Connor smirked at the collective groan that greeted his words. “I know, I know, that means we must all wear our human faces for the next few days. So, summon your magicks and make sure it’s convincing, especially you, Taweret, I know how much you despise changing back.”

“We are as the divine Overmind created us, Primus,” The hippopotamus shrugged unhappily. “But if it is your command, then it shall be done.” She waved a hand lazily across her face, the animal features fading away into the illusion of a youthful woman with woven black hair and a welcoming expression. “Better?”

“I’m not sure about better, but yes, it will serve.” The Primus glanced at Horus; the winged chimera had turned into a severe looking man with silver-gold hair. “You look the oldest among us, Horus, I will need you to act as the leader when we are among the humans.”

“As you command.” Horus growled, a scowl rippling across his features. “But I am unfamiliar with their, hmm, protocols. And I do not like the appearance of giving _you_ orders, Primus, it feels unnatural.”

“Do not worry, we will be swift; the longer we linger among them, the greater the risk of discovery.” Connor reassured him with a smile. “In a matter of days, we will have the traitor in our claws and Bastet will be returned to us!”

“Yes, Primus.” They replied dutifully.

“Now, Anubis, tell me what leads you have gathered from your intelligence agencies.”

 

Jordan chewed on the end of his pen as he considered what to write next in his report of a minor burglary he had responded to the night before. He glanced up when the sound of several engines came through the open window behind him, the vehicles appearing to pull into the parking lot at the front of the Sheriff’s Station. A moment later, the main door opened, and Jordan felt his pulse quicken, eyes widening as a group of incredibly attractive twenty-somethings walked in, their official coats identifying them as Federal Marshals. He swallowed hard, seeing Connor moving beside a taller, stern-faced man with golden blond hair, the pair of glasses perched on his nose only served to underscore his strict demeanour.

The Deputy stood up quickly and moved out from his desk, approaching the group as they stopped next to the Sheriff’s closed office door. “Uh, hi, um, ah, hi.” _Crap, are they chimeras too? Or are they legit agents? What do I say? Um, maybe I should start by not staring at Connor so much, even though he’s so goddamn hot!_ “Uh…”

“Deputy Parrish, this is Chief Deputy Super-” Connor began but the blond-haired man held up a hand, cutting across him irritably.

“Please, Marshal Falcon is sufficient.”

“Err, that’s a, um, interesting surname.” Jordan managed, glancing between them, gaining nothing but a slight arch of Connor’s brow. “Uh, you must be the backup Marshal Kern sent for, then?”

“We’re the advance team, yeah.” A short, muscular man pushed past and gestured for the other man and woman to follow him into the evidence room where Connor had set up. “We’ll be in here, Falcon.”

“Good.” Their leader replied shortly, turning to look down at Jordan, a hint of distain coloring his expression. “Take me to your…Sheriff.”

“Uh, sure.” Jordan blinked. _Ok, that was one word away from a bad alien encounter!_ “I’ll see if he’s available.”

“We will wait.” Marshal Falcon nodded and gestured for Connor to take a seat while he himself stood. “My…subordinate, please sit.”

 _Hmm, weird._ Jordan frowned at their unusual interaction before he knocked on the Sheriff’s door and then let himself inside. “Sir.”

“What’s going on out there, Parrish?”

“The Federal Marshals are here,” Jordan replied as Sheriff Stilinski looked up from the stack of paperwork on his desk. “The ones Connor told us would be coming?”

“I thought that wasn’t until next week.” The Sheriff stood up and looked around him, out into the main office. “We haven’t made any progress, at least not enough that he needs extra support, right?”

“I don’t know, Sheriff,” Jordan shrugged. “But I think their leader and Marshal Kern should be able to answer that; the other three are in the evidence room.”

“Ok, ok, I was meant to meet the Mayor in an hour, we’ll have to make this quick.” He ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “The fact that we might have an inter-state serial killer managed to get up to them somehow and now the Mayor’s office is breathing down my neck harder than when the…Mason’s… _that_ happened!”

“Err, maybe this will all be over soon?” Jordan offered, shrinking back when Sheriff Stilinski gave him a long-suffering glare. “We can hope, right? I mean, at least we now have five well-trained, well-equipped extra officers to rely on.”

“I suppose.” He sighed. “Send them in, and offer them some coffee or something, we probably will need their help, might as well be friendly.”

“Got it.” The Hellhound nodded and backed out, turning to find Marshal Falcon looking at him expectantly as Connor sat in the chair nearby, watching them both. “Uh, the Sheriff will see you now, um, do you want anything to drink? Coffee? Soda? Err, water?” Jordan felt his cheeks heat as Connor stood up and approached him. “Yeah?”

“Leave us, Falcon.” Connor dismissed his supposed leader with a gesture, nodding for Jordan to move away from the others into the small kitchenette that was at the back of the station. “As you probably guessed, these guys aren’t actually Marshals.”

“Yeah, a couple of things tipped me off.” Jordan huffed, folding his arms across his chest. “Like that guy’s name, for one thing!”

“Calm down, Jordan.” Connor touched his shoulder and held his gaze, the Deputy beginning to feel the nervous energy flood out of his stomach and gather further south. “Maybe don’t calm down that much, I _can_ smell you, remember?”

“Sorry.” He flushed and adjusted his hardon so it was less obvious. “You, uh, you just have that effect.”

“It’s fine, just listen to me.” Connor wetted his lips and Jordan’s eyes locked onto his mouth and the fleeting glimpse of his pink tongue. “These others are Guardians, you remember-”

“You’re their leader, yeah, I remember.” Jordan nodded excitedly. “They have all those crazy abilities, right? So, they’ll help us catch the Pathologist? Awesome!”

“Perhaps.” Connor shrugged. “I mean, yes, we will find and capture the traitor, but your…friendship with the werewolf pack here, it is problematic. Please do not mention it to the others.”

“But-”

“Prim, uh, Marshal Kern?” Falcon corrected himself as soon as he noticed Jordan standing behind the tall fridge. “The Sheriff requires you to, hmm, fill in some details. Ah, so this is the one?”

“Uh…” Jordan looked from Connor to Falcon. “What does he mean?”

“Once you concentrate on Cerberus’ presence, it is hard to believe that you ever missed it, hmm?” Connor smiled at the other man before turning back to Jordan. “Sorry, the time for proper introductions will come later, we should first assure the Sheriff that our mission is limited, and it will not take long. See you, later, Deputy.”

“Bye.” Jordan mumbled, feeling his head spin as he tried to keep track of everything, the thoughts slipping from his mind as his eyes rested on Connor’s ass as he walked away. _Damn, I bet he’s as tight as he was in my fantasy last night! Mmh!_

 

“Uh huh.” 

“I get the impression that you don’t believe us, Sheriff.” Horus smiled thinly as the Sheriff grunted at them. “Feel free to call our-”

“You’re right, I don’t believe you.” He shook his head and glared at Connor. “ _You_ , I believed, it made a sort of sense that one Federal Marshal might come to investigate the goings-on here in Beacon Hills. But _him_ ,” The Sheriff pointed at Horus. “Him I can’t believe. Or any of your team out there. You’re just too…well put together.”

“Too good looking?” Horus smirked and glanced at Connor. “What do you think of these claims, my…subordinate?”

“I think the only way to know for sure is for you to tell us your suspicions, Sheriff.” Connor steepled his fingers and looked over his hands at the man sitting on the other side of the desk. “Maybe you’re right about us, or maybe you’re just a crackpot, but ultimately, we are here to capture the Devil Doctor, nothing more, nothing less.”

“Mmh.” The Sheriff looked at him again, hesitation mixing with calculation until he nodded and spoke. “What would you say if I told you my son is dating a werewolf and one of his best friends is a banshee?”

“Hmm, unusual tactic.” Horus muttered, looking at Connor. “Shall we?”

“I see no reason not to.” The Primus stood up and let his eyes glow with a deep purple as the Sheriff stiffened and placed his hand on his gun. “I mean you no harm, Sheriff, none of us do.”

“So, you’re all…some sort of werewolf?”

“Grr!” Horus snarled, standing up and letting his wings rip from his back with enough force to shatter the chair he was sitting in. “You dare offend us with such heresy?!”

“Easy!” Connor held out a hand, eyes flashing dangerously as the Sheriff scrambled backwards, hastily pulling his gun from its holster. The office door was flung open and Parrish rushed inside, followed by Sobek and Anubis. “Everyone calm down! Calm.”

“What’s going on here?”

“There’s nothing going on, Jordan, just a small misunderstanding, everything is-”

“You knew about this?!” Sheriff Stilinski shouted across him as Parrish shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “Who are these people? Why does he have wings?! And what the hell is going on in my station?!”

“Um.”

“Don’t ‘um’ me, Jordan, you need to-”

“Enough.” The Guardian Primus spoke the single word, authority rushing from his voice as even the Sheriff stopped shouting. “Good. Now, I assume there are no other deputies in this station at this moment?”

“Um, Higgins is on a donut run, and Pressley is in the back washing out the cruiser from that drunk last night,” Parrish replied slowly. “I think the rest of the shift are responding to the pileup on the interstate.”

“Good,” Connor nodded and gestured with one hand, forcing the magicks concealing the true faces of the other Guardians to fall away. He waited for the cops’ surprised gasps to subside before he turned towards the Sheriff again. “We are known as the Guardians of the Overmind, I am the Guardian Primus, the leader, and we are chimeras. But not the chimeras that you have seen thus far, Sheriff, we are older, we are the first.”

“What do you want?”

“We are hunting the Dread Doctor known to the supernaturals here as the Pathologist. He betrayed us long ago and has been on the run ever since.” Connor replied smoothly, waving his hand for Horus to stand behind him, the other chimera’s wingtips brushing against the ceiling as he tore the shreds of his jacket and t-shirt from his torso. “He has eluded us for a very long time, but recently he captured another of our order, Bastet, and we must rescue her before he can extract the essence from her body. It is a substance of great value and the Pathologist cannot be allowed to possess it, least he create monsters of unimaginable power. Perhaps you have already seen some of the creatures this man and his fellows have created?”

“Yeah, we’re familiar.” The Sheriff grunted, slipping his gun back into the holster. He glanced at Deputy Parrish. “I trust you told him about Mason?”

“I did.”

“Ok, so what do you need from us?” 

“We will continue the investigation as though nothing is out of the ordinary.” Connor said, gesturing to the Guardians behind him. “We will follow leads and we will find the Pathologist no matter what it takes. And once we have what we want, we will leave, with no _extra_ missions. Your werewolves will not be harmed unless they interfere.” He added, looking up at Horus meaningfully until the falcon-headed chimera bowed deferentially. Connor turned back to the Sheriff and approached him. “You are an officer of the law, a keeper of the peace, that was once our role in our ancient kingdom. Now we seek vengeance, and nothing will stop us in our pursuit of the Pathologist.”

“You’ve made your point, Connor, we won’t get in your way.” The Sheriff replied stiffly, shooting a hostile glare at Parrish. “But I need to talk to my deputy alone.”

“Hmm.” Connor nodded, gesturing for his Guardians to leave with the flick of his wrist. He held Parrish’s eye for a moment, his purple gaze matched by the flicker of orange embers. 

 

“Hey Jordan!” Theo called out, walking across the asphalt towards the Deputy’s police cruiser. “You just getting off shift now?”

“It’s been a long one, Theo.” Jordan smiled at him, their embrace short even as mutual touches lingered. “You wouldn’t believe half the things I’ve seen today.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised.” The chimera smirked, drawing Parrish’s arched brow. “Uh, but that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about.”

“You in trouble?”

“No, no, I’m good.”

“Is this about us heading down to deal with your parents’ estate?” The Deputy pressed his lips together and sat on the hood of the cruiser. “I’m sorry, Theo, it’s all hands on deck right now with the Marshals here and the serial killer and-”

“Marshals? As in more than one?” Theo frowned, thinking back to the stakeout the night before. “Um.”

“What is it, Theo?” Jordan looked at him, his expression becoming serious. “C’mon, you gotta tell me about this stuff, you know it’s not right to keep something back if there’s a chance someone could get hurt.”

“I, I know.” The chimera looked at the ground, chewing on his lower lip. “I don’t think anyone is in danger, well, as long as they stay away from the forest on the west side of town.”

“The west side? That’s near…”

“Where Connor is staying, yeah.” Theo admitted softly. “I, well, me and Corey both wanted to check him out, make sure he wasn’t a threat or a supernatural something. So, we went and spied on him last night. Well, Corey did the spying, I just listened.”

“Theo!” The Deputy sighed at him, disappointment radiating through his scent. “Why would you even do that? It’s not as if…oh. Corey told you, huh?”

“That you like Connor? Yeah.” Theo nodded, adding quickly, “But it’s not what you think; we just wanted to protect you, it’s not like I was jealous or anything.”

“Uh huh.”

“Stop smirking!” Theo punched Parrish’s shoulder gently. “You know my Overmind enhanced senses allow me to read a person’s aura, right?”

“Sure.”

“So, I already did that with Connor yesterday evening.” He folded his arms as Jordan perked up. “Yeah, I thought that might catch your attention.”

“I already know he’s a supernatural; some sort of non-Dread Doctor chimera.” Jordan replied quickly. “I was going to tell you this last night but then shit happened, and anyway, I was at his motel room and…uh huh, now who’s jumping to conclusions?!”

“Oh please, Corey told me you were practically drooling all over Connor and his handsome face!” Theo shot back with a smirk.

“Right, well, _anyway_ , he was attacked by these big scaly monsters he called the Craven.” Jordan continued, eyes narrowing as Theo nodded along. “Don’t tell me you’ve seen them?”

“In the forest.” Theo shrugged. “If Corey hadn’t been there to turn me invisible, I wouldn’t be here now.”

“Well, that’s disturbing.” The Deputy sighed. “Ok, so, I saw Connor in action, and this guy is amazing in battle, not just crazy hot! He had claws and was really strong and could give this insane roar! And then he’s able to control the ground; like hauling up these rock walls and crushing dudes and-”

“Ok, ok, I get it!” Theo cut across Jordan with a laugh. “You have such a hardon for this guy!”

“Yeah, well, he is hot and heroic, it’s kind of my type.” Jordan looked at him with the sort of lingering gaze that made Theo’s stomach do a backflip. “But, um, did he have the chimera’s blue glow?”

“Purple.” Theo replied shortly. “Deep, royal purple. I checked last night too, and they all have that aura.”

“Matches his eyes.” Jordan shrugged. “So that proves that they are a different sort of chimera.”

“Uh, yeah, you weren’t there to see the lady with the hippo head step out of a floaty hole in the air!”

“Oh, I think that’s Taweret.” 

“You guys friends or something?!” Theo glared at him. “How does that not faze you?”

“No, it’s just, well, Connor came clean to the Sheriff today and something weird happened with this other chimera, Horus, he has wings, kind of an asshole, he broke a chair.” Jordan continued on as Theo’s brow raised higher. “They’re after the Pathologist, some old score to settle, they need to rescue their other chimera, plus, they know something about the Overmind, more than you do. I can’t remember, it’s been like information overload.”

“Yeah, that is a long day.” Theo smiled suddenly, tilting his head to one side. “You know what you need?”

“A hot shower?”

“Well after that?”

“Uh, something that you can’t give me?!” Jordan winked at him as Theo chuckled. “Ok, Theo, what do I need?”

“A night out!” The chimera bounced on the balls of his feet. “C’mon! It’ll be the entire chimera pack, not just you and me!”

“What about all that gossip I gave Corey?”

“He traded it in for getting the home birds to give up movie night and go party in Sinema!”

“Isn’t that over eighteens only?” Jordan frowned as Theo groaned at him. “Ok, ok, fine, I’ll be there after nine, ok?”

“Great!” Theo grinned. “Oh, and wear something nice, uh, form-fitting, but, uh, kinda revealing; show off those awesome pecs and guns!”

“Um, sure, if you want me to.” Jordan replied slowly as Theo started to back away towards his truck. “Wait, are you trying to set me up with someone? Theo!”

 

“Excuse me? Connor, right?” Corey swallowed nervously as he stepped out of the shadow of the doorway next to the diner he had followed the Marshal and his team to. The chimera paused when Connor looked at him, piercing eyes that seemed to lance straight into his soul. Corey felt his mouth dry up as he started to speak, “Um, can I talk to you?”

“Hmm, sure.” Connor replied after a moment, his calculating gaze sizing Corey up. “You were at the station a few nights ago, yes?”

“Yeah, I was with Deputy Parrish, he’s my friend.” Corey added, feeling defensive as the man continued to look unblinkingly at him. “You…He said that you were here hunting a, um, serial killer?”

“Among other things.” Connor whispered softly, finally pulling his gaze away as he rested one hand on the grip of the gun strapped to his hip. “Why? Do you know something?”

“Um…maybe.” Corey made a show of looking around, but he didn’t have to fake the nervous energy that swamped over him, his palms already clammy, his stomach tying itself in knots. _What is with this guy? Why do I feel so…overwhelmed?_ “I might know something that can help you.”

“But you don’t want to tell me here?”

“It’s too open, who knows who might be listening?” Corey shook his head and pulled out a scrap of paper, thrusting it towards Connor. “Here. Meet me here; tonight, after nine, you’ll know it when you see it.”

“Very well.” Connor nodded, reaching out to take the piece of paper. “Thank you for coming forward…?”

“Corey.” The chimera replied, swallowing hard again when his fingers brushed against Connor’s hand. He blinked rapidly as a sudden wave of discomfort crashed through his forehead and Corey pulled abruptly away. “Ow!”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, must be a pressure headache.” Corey muttered, staggering away from Connor. “I’m fine, really.”

“If you’re sure.” The man nodded, watching him as Corey walked quickly down the street, turning into a nearby alley.

Corey breathed a sigh of relief, the tight band of pain that had wrapped around his head dissipated the further he got from Connor. The chimera frowned at the brick wall opposite him and then pressed his hand against the rough concrete behind him, allowing his abilities to activate, a bubble of invisibility expanding outwards from his body. Corey waited until he had better control and pulled the field closer to him so that it acted more like a sheath and less like an all-encompassing balloon. 

He walked carefully back into the street, returning to where Connor was still standing, although he was now joined by another man; the short, muscular guy that Corey recognized from the night before. _I need to get closer, wish Theo was with me to hear them better._

“What was that about?” The other man asked, his voice deep and powerful, as Connor slipped the piece of paper into his pocket. “Primus?”

“A tipoff. But it was more than that.” Connor turned around and Corey instinctively ducked behind a mailbox as the Primus’ gaze swept over the seemingly empty street. “I believe that was one of those _new_ chimeras.”

“The ones made by the traitor?”

“Yes, Sobek, I think you would have an affinity with him though.” Connor smirked and looked back at the other man. “He has been touched by the Overmind, not enough that he has our linage, but close enough to confirm that the stolen organ is here. That the traitor may have found a way to use it, perhaps even force its abilities on an unworthy host.”

“Why an affinity, Primus?” Sobek asked, folding his arms across his chest as the t-shirt’s fabric stretched taut over his shoulders, threatening to rip. “What did you learn from so brief a touch?”

“He is a type of assassin if I’m not mistaken; stealthy, quiet, able to vanish among a crowd.” Connor gestured at the street as Corey suddenly held his breath. “He could still be watching us, waiting to strike.”

“Let him try!”

“Easy, I do not think he means us harm.” Connor smiled as Sobek laughed suddenly, the tension between them broken. “As if he could. In any case, I am curious to learn more of the new chimeras, to see if any are truly worthy.”

“Yes, Primus.” Sobek bowed his head, backing away. “I will find the others, yes?”

“It is time to leave.” Connor agreed, turning away and walking towards his car as Corey slumped back against the mailbox.

 _Phew, that was close! The Primus? What a name! Or I guess it’s a title…this keeps getting weirder._ The chimera waited for the engines to start up and the group of not-Marshals to drive away before he became visible again. Corey stood up and looked around, making sure no one had seen him suddenly appear. “Hmm, they talked about the Overmind, that’s the thing Theo knows about, the thing the Doctors used to control us. But they said it was stolen, talked like it wasn’t some creepy monster. I better talk to Theo, maybe hooking Connor and Jordan up isn’t the best idea…”

 

“Hmm, not exactly where I was expecting to find a good intelligence source.” Horus muttered as the Guardians stood on the edge of the pavement, looking at the line of young people queuing up to get into the club across the street. “Are you sure this is the right address, master?”

“I’m certain.” Connor nodded, glancing from side to side at the other chimeras, smirking at their expressions ranging from excitement to confusion to hesitation. “It’s a nightclub, Taweret, a place of dancing and-”

“Fornication.” She drawled, looking over at him. “I can smell their arousal from here; male and female, young and…not so young.”

“Reminds me of that orgy in eighty-seven!” Anubis grinned, his head bobbing along to the music that was spilling out of the door across the street.

“BC or AD?” Sobek frowned, tilting his head. “There were so many orgies back then I can’t recall which was the best.”

“BC, please! Those Romans knew how to throw a party! Don’t you guys remember?” He took off as Horus hissed for him to remain. “The source is inside, let’s go!”

“Get back here!” Horus snarled. “Wait for the Primus’ command, you wild jackal!”

“It’s fine, Horus,” Connor gestured for them to advance, catching the winged chimera’s eye as the other two chimeras went ahead of them. “Don’t babysit him all night, do try and enjoy yourself too.”

“We are not here for amusement, Primus.” Horus replied stiffly. “Do you really think this is wise?”

“If we want to find out about the new chimeras, then yes, this is wise and necessary.” The Guardian Primus nodded for him to move, walking alongside Taweret as she worked her manipulative magick to allow them to jump the line. “I am not sure what we might find in here; it could be a trap, or it could be valuable answers. So, just, relax and keep your eyes trained for anything…unusual.”

“As you command, Primus.” Horus whispered softly as they entered the club, the bouncer waving them through with unfocused eyes. Loud music washed over the group when they passed from the entrance into the main area, people already crowded inside, strobe lights flashing erratically around the room. 

Connor gestured for them to split up, heading towards the neon counter-top of the bar and slipping his way through until he reached the edge. He caught the shirtless bartender’s eye and beckoned him over. 

“Yeah?”

“JD and Coke, please.”

“Sure, sure.” 

The man moved with grace enough that Connor sniffed the air carefully, dismissing his suspicions a moment later when all he could detect was sweat, arousal, and confidence. He accepted the drink and handed over a crisp bill, shaking his head when change was offered. “Keep it.”

“Thanks!”

Connor turned around, looking out over the dancefloor, catching glimpses of the other Guardians as they moved through the crowd, locating themselves in strategic positions next to the exit doors, the DJ station, the central dance floor, and the upper balcony. The Primus smiled slightly as he tasted his drink, letting the pounding club music flow through him, the sights of happy young people dancing with abandon as though there was nothing more important than the next song was a pleasing distraction. Connor glanced to his left as another man sidled up to him, older than most of the other clientele, though not out of place. The Primus blinked as a memory from the distant past surged to the front of his mind and he was pulled back to a party in a different time.

 

**87BC, Rome**

“Marvellous, are they not?” The softly spoken words were whispered to him by a well-dressed man in a long, dark red toga, rich embellishments adorning the fabric as gold and jewels dripped from his fingers and arms. “Sadly, they are not for sale, not that I have given up asking, haha.”

“Indeed.” The Primus nodded politely, taking a sip from his goblet as he glanced at the man. “I am surprised that the censor has continued to refuse such a wealthy master of trade as yourself, Flavius.”

“You flatter me, err, and have me at a disadvantage…?” Flavius let the sentence hang awkwardly. “Um, you are with the delegation from Egypt, yes?”

“You could say that, although we have our own reasons for being in Rome.” The Primus turned back to look at the naked men and women in the center of the room as they performed a ritual dance to celebrate the festival of fertility. _Heathens, heretics! What do they know of the appetites of the gods? Hmm, he’s a handsome youth though._

“I see that young Decius has caught your eye, he is a spirited dancer and well…blessed by the gods!” Flavius purred, inching closer to the Primus. “While the censor is reluctant to sell his slaves, he is willing to indulge his patrons’ interests. I could arrange something intimate, if you wish?”

“As tempting as that is,” The Primus smiled slightly and turned away as the dancers reached the heights of their passion and lust began to overcome them. “I have a better idea.” He took Flavius by the elbow, holding the man tightly until they reached an outer courtyard and then the Primus flung him down onto the ground. The chimera pulled one of the golden chains from around Flavius’ neck and snapped off the stylized pendant at its center. “Ahh.”

“How dare you!”

“Silence, worm.” Anubis growled, the jackal-headed chimera emerging along with the other Guardians from the doorways to the rest of the villa. “Thank your horny gods that we have knowledge to pull from you or you would already be greeting them!”

“This pendant, it bears the mark of the traitor, where did you get it?” The Primus demanded as Flavius glanced between them, terror in his eyes. “Tell me, before your toga is red with more than dye…”

 

**The Present**

“So, I haven’t seen you before-”

“You’re not seeing me now.” Connor cut the man off abruptly as a change in the music pulled him from his memories. The Primus walked away as the other guy opened his mouth to protest, Connor slipping through the sweaty crowds until he found Anubis and Sobek dancing together in the center of the club. “Anything?”

“Nothing, all quiet.” Sobek replied, awkwardly sucking his drink through a straw from the side of his mouth. “Although this illusion spell might cause some problems, Primus, I still have a long snout here, just no one can see it!”

“Try not to bump into anyone.” Connor replied as Anubis barked a laugh, turning away to dance with a duo of young men that came over to them. “What about our contact?”

“Haven’t seen him.” Sobek shrugged and pointed at the balcony above them. “Taweret is watching from up there, she might have something more promising.”

“Very well, ensure Anubis doesn’t get too carried away.” Connor clapped the chimera’s shoulder and made his way back through the crowd towards the stairs. “We do not need a repeat of that orgy’s final hours…”

 

“Damn, it’s crowded!” Theo called out as Corey’s grip tightened on his hand. “How are we going to find him in all this?”

“He’s looking for me, remember?” His boyfriend shouted back. “Let’s just find Jordan first and then we can worry about looking for Connor.”

“Ok, ok, tell everyone else to go have a good time.”

“Uh, yeah, no, they got that message, Theo.” Corey grinned at him, strobe lights flickering across his expression as the music soared and then the bass dropped. The rest of the chimera pack had already pushed past them to stream into the club, several making a beeline for the bar as others danced their way towards the floor.

“Uh, they know we can’t get drunk, right?” Theo frowned at Josh who had already managed to get a hold of several Jello shots, downing them with vigor.

“Well, if they don’t, they’re in for a rude awakening!” Corey grinned and tugged for Theo to follow him over to the booths. “We’ll have a good view of the entrance and the bar from here.”

“Ok.”

“Hey guys! Fancy seeing you here!”

“Oh no.” Corey groaned as he turned around slowly to see Stiles and Liam grinning at them. “Err, hey.”

“Stiles, Liam.” Theo smiled and accepted Stiles’ hug and Liam’s awkward bro-fist. “I figured after getting busted in the parking lot you wouldn’t be out tonight?”

“Oh, _that_ , yeah…” Stiles shrugged as Liam coughed and looked at the ground. “Well, it was awkward, but like, when the urge takes ya, what can you do?!”

“Maybe control your urges.” Corey’s dry response earned him a sharp elbow from Theo and a flustered glance from Liam.

“Um, so, yeah, enjoy your night.” Theo said tightly, looking over Liam’s head as he spotted Jordan walking inside, his muscular torso shown off by a patterned red and black shirt that was unbuttoned half way down, his biceps testing the strength of the cotton sleeves. _Alright! Now that’s a hot deputy!_

“Well, since we bumped into you, maybe we can hang out?” Liam offered half-heartedly as Stiles nodded eagerly beside him. “Or maybe-”

“Let’s dance, I love this remix!” Stiles shouted across him, taking Liam’s hand and then tried to pull Corey along with them, stopping short as the chimera refused to move. “Eh? Is something wrong?”

“Go on, Corey, I have to…you know.” Theo gestured at him as his boyfriend glared back, his expression souring. After a gentle push, Corey followed Stiles and Liam onto the dance floor, affording Theo a brief smirk before he turned away and cut through the crowds to get to where Deputy Parrish was standing. _Oh man, Corey is gonna kill me later!_

 

“Theo!” Jordan shouted over the music, pulling the chimera towards him as Theo tilted his head down to hear him better. “Alright, I’m here, and wearing…this. Is it ok?”

“It’s awesome! You look great, I’m sure he’s gonna love it!”

“So you _are_ trying to set me up.” Jordan sighed as Theo gestured for them to head towards the bar. “Theo, I don’t need a boyfriend right now.”

“But you do need to get laid!” Theo grinned toothily at him. “I lived with you for a month, remember? There was no one else in that apartment at night other than me, you, and sometimes Corey. And we never did anything! A guy as hot as you shouldn’t miss out for even a week, never mind a month!”

“So, who is this guy? He’s over eighteen, right?”

“Uh, yeah, pretty sure he needs a college degree to even attempt to get his job.” Theo smirked at him as Jordan groaned. “What?”

“You’re trying to set me up with Connor!” Jordan shook his head, “That’s…there’s more to him than you know, Theo, even more than I told you about earlier. I don’t think that-”

“Well, he’s over there, so maybe you can figure it out as you dance with his fine ass!” Theo winked at him and nodded to the dancefloor where Connor and Horus were standing, nodding their heads along with the music. “But, like, you should at least hook up with him _before_ you start with the serious questions!”

“Ugh, this is a terrible idea.” Jordan muttered, frowning as he felt a strange resistance in his muscles as he began to walk over to Connor after another of Theo’s toothy grins. _Oh, Cerberus, right? Look, I know this is weird for you, human emotions and stuff, but can you promise not to freak out or anything if I do get to second base with this guy?_ He paused in the center of the dancefloor as a rush of heat soared up his left arm and gathered in his chest before it dissipated. “Phew, ok, I’ll take that as a good sign.”

 

“Werewolf.” Horus muttered to him, nodding over at a trio of young men. “There.”

“I see him, along with our new chimera.” Connor agreed, reaching out to touch Horus’ arm. “Wait. This is not our objective.”

“But-”

“You will stand down, Guardian.” The Primus glared at him, a flash of purple in his eyes as the strobes and lasers exploded over them. “There are too many innocents here for the monster to use as a shield; I will not risk their lives to take out one werewolf that is not yet a threat to us.”

“Not yet.” Horus grunted irritably. “But one day he could be.”

“The future is ever in motion.” Connor replied calmly, about to continue speaking when he caught the rich scent of the Hellhound on the laden air of the nightclub. He turned around, finding Deputy Parrish closer than expected. “Ah, Deputy, this is a surprise, unless…ah.” Connor glanced over at Corey and the pieces slotted neatly together. “I’m guessing that the young chimera has no knowledge of our enemy?”

“Yeah, it appears that he and Theo conspired to bring us here, together.” Parrish shrugged at him, but he still grinned as Connor moved closer to him, so they didn’t have to shout. “Sorry about that. Teenagers, you know, they can be, uh, overzealous.”

“Indeed.” Connor smirked before looking back at Horus. “Leave us.”

“Primus.” The chimera bowed shortly and stalked away.

“You really do command them.” Parrish muttered, looking back at Connor. “I know this is kinda forced, but maybe you do want to get a drink and…see where things go?”

“I may not have the gift of foresight, but I can already see one place where this could go!” Connor smirked at him as he dragged his eyes across Parrish’s tight shirt before flicking his gaze up into the Hellhound’s own. “Shall we?”

“We shall!” Parrish replied excitedly, his arm wrapping around Connor’s shoulders as they turned away from the dancefloor.


	5. Long Held Convictions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter is pretty much all smut with some plot thrown in at times. There is some barebacking, but in real life please use protection!

_So, ok. Ok, this is happening!_ Jordan swallowed hard, glancing over at Connor as he backed his car out of Sinema’s parking lot. The Primus was looking idly out the window, a faint smile hovering around his lips. Jordan felt his heart beating faster, as though a horse had kicked his chest, a sudden tightness that only faded away when he forced his eyes back on the road. _Damn, he’s hot, somehow hotter than usual! Oh man, this is gonna be…short, if you jizz your pants before we even get to the bedroom, calm down!_ “Um,” Jordan wetted his dry lips and looked at Connor again. “Err, my place or yours?”

“Hmm, yours might be the better option; your prediction about the motel room was sadly accurate.” Connor smirked and Jordan frowned until he explained. “Taweret looked into the past, saw all those who had used the bed before; and you said, ‘hookers and depression,’ well, I’m not sure about the depression bit; they all seemed very happy with their service.”

“You can see them?”

“For a time; only glimpses of the past.”

“Uh, it’ll take about ten minutes to get home.” Jordan mumbled, an uncomfortable pressure building in his forehead as though something heavy was pressing on his skull. A thought came from the ether, sweeping aside his lustful urges, _He is the ancient one, have more respect…_ He looked at Connor as the lights changed in front of them, “Um…”

“Cerberus is resistant to this turn of events,” Connor commented carefully, his emotions hidden behind a blank expression. “I can take care of that before we begin; put him to sleep and then wake him back up afterwards. That way it’ll only be you and I, no third presence to distract you.”

“I’m already pretty distracted.” Jordan muttered, his gaze lingering on the open collar of Connor’s shirt, eager to unbutton the rest and finally _see_ him. The Hellhound blinked suddenly and looked up sharply when he processed what Connor just said. “Wait, what?”

“Relax, Cerberus will not be hurt; you may feel somewhat disorientated at first. I’ll wait until you’re no longer driving.”

“Oh, ok, good.” Jordan nodded as contentment flowed across his tensed muscles. The lights changed and they started moving again. “Um, can I ask you something?”

“I imagine you have lots of questions.” The Primus mused, tapping one finger on his thigh. “Ask away.”

“Uh, I do, about…well, we’ll get home first.” Jordan felt his cheeks heat slightly as he shared a knowing smirk with Connor. “But, err, I keep hearing the words ‘ancient one’ in my mind; that’s Cerberus, right?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s talking about you?”

“That’s right.”

“I thought he was really old.” Jordan licked his lips again, turning off the main boulevard that stretched through the town. “But what does that make you if he considers you ‘ancient’? Is it, like, Hellhound years or something?”

“Haha!” Connor laughed, his eyes twinkling as he grinned at Jordan. “No, nothing like that. You know that I am an immortal-”

“You don’t age, that’s pretty hot!” Jordan cut across him, feeling excitement flush down his chest and swell around his rising cock, the erection held in place by his snug-fitting briefs. “But are you always this age?”

“I can be older or younger; there are limits of course. A baby is as useless as an old man, but the stretch of years in between allow much utility.” Connor shrugged, turning to look out the window again, the darkened glass offering a reflection of the sudden purple flare that burned in his eyes. “There were other forms that I could have taken, like my fellow chimeras, but human was the most useful at the time; I could move among them without notice until I wanted them to see me.”

“Hard not to notice you; you’re the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.” Jordan’s ears burned after he spoke, thoughts turning to words without his realisation. “Um, I…well, it’s true.”

“Thank you, Jordan, you are…ideal also.” Connor smiled; his eyes faraway when he turned back to look at the Deputy, his gaze roaming over the tight shirt and bulging muscles. “Exactly what I am looking for in a…”

“Hook-up?”

“Right.”

“Huh, thanks.” Jordan grinned to himself, turning onto his home street before he realised Connor still hadn’t answered his question. “Um, are you gonna tell me how old you are? I mean, it doesn’t really matter, you look young, I’m just curious.”

“I was old when this world was young!” Connor proclaimed, his expression solemn until Jordan arched a brow and then the Primus burst into laughter. “Haha, I heard that in a video game once, it seemed to fit! My age does not matter, Jordan, I simply am until the moment when I am no longer.”

“I thought you were immortal?”

“Immortal, yes. Invulnerable, no.” He shrugged as Jordan parked on his driveway. “I can be killed; with enough damage I will eventually die; if something should outpace my healing capability, then I will be in trouble.”

“That obviously hasn’t happened yet.” Jordan nodded, holding Connor’s gaze until he turned off the engine. “Shall we go inside? I have…something to drink somewhere…”

“Let’s go.” He grinned and put his hand on the door. “Best to slake that thirst hmm?”

“Oh, I’m thirsty for sure!”

 

Connor glanced around as Jordan moved quickly across the living room, picking up piles of clean laundry and trying to hide the takeout cartons under the couch. He smiled to himself and walked over to the small collection of framed photographs on a sideboard, leaving the Hellhound to mutter darkly about how he should have tidied up before heading out. _Family…must be his parents._ Connor picked up one of the frames, looking down at the faded color of the photograph, a smiling man with glasses and his arms wrapped around a happy-looking woman in a pink and white dress, the heat of forgotten summers evident on their faces. 

The Primus replaced the picture, looking instead at a younger version of Jordan wearing combat fatigues and standing on the asphalt of a runway, the harsh desert sky at his back, dust whipping through the air as he squinted at the photographer. Connor glanced up when he heard Jordan walking over to him, stopping to look down at what was in his hand. “Do you miss it, the soldiering life?”

“I’m not sure anyone misses that.” Jordan mused, reaching out to take the picture. “I guess it was a lot simpler back then. I’ve been getting…dreams, flashes of memories the last few days. The hours before I was blown up in that IED, then the moment I triggered it, and…hellfire.” Jordan looked at him, close enough that Connor was able to see the green of his eyes. “Cerberus?”

“I told him that he would remember his own life, his lives,” Connor corrected himself, shifting so he was looking more comfortably at Jordan. “Once you and he had accepted one another, he would recall them. But in doing so, he would also reveal your…death.”

“I kinda figured that.” Jordan moved closer again, resting his hands on Connor’s waist, crinkling the smooth cotton of his shirt and biting on his lip as Connor smiled at him. “So, are we both immortal then, you and me?”

“Of a kind; it is Cerberus that is keeping you here; you cannot be parted from him.” Connor murmured, lifting his own hand to place it against Jordan’s temple. “But he can rest for a time. This will feel unusual and a little disorientating.” The Guardian Primus’ eyes flared a brilliant purple and he tapped Jordan’s head sharply. “Sleep, Cerberus, sleep…”

“Ugh!” Jordan rocked forward suddenly as though he had lost his balance, grasping Connor’s torso for support as the other guy held him upright. “Oh that does feel weird!”

“The sensation will pass.” Connor guided him over to the couch and replaced the picture frame on the sideboard. “Sit, give it a minute. You still have all your abilities; strength, healing, stamina. Cerberus will wake back up if we are attacked and I will draw him forth after we are…finished.”

“Right,” Jordan blinked and looked up at him a little unsteadily. “We didn’t come here for just talking.”

“No, we did not.” Connor smirked and helped Jordan stand up, tilting his head to one side, inviting the other guy to move closer until they were kissing. It was easy, a smooth motion that slipped from looking at each other to pressing against the other, hands sliding across cotton shirts and pulling their bodies tighter, deepening their kiss. Connor kept his eyes closed, idle thoughts drifting across his mind as his effort was focused on being in the moment, not spiralling away into all the other times this action had been repeated. Instead he grunted as Jordan’s hands eagerly pushed into his waistband, searching for skin. _An easy request._

“Mmmh.” Jordan moaned into Connor’s mouth as he felt the shirt loosening under his fingers. He broke away for a moment to look down, grinning when he saw the handsome man had undone the buttons of his shirt, allowing Jordan to slide his hands over smooth, hard muscles and up the tanned chest to push the cloth back and off Connor’s shoulders and arms, leaving him shirtless. Jordan dropped one hand to massage his hardon, the other gliding over Connor’s skin, feeling a jolt of excitement fire through his cock when he touched a finger against one of Connor’s wide pectoral muscles and the hard nipple. “Damn, you are perfect.”

“Don’t leave me in suspense now.” Connor smirked at him and started on his belt as he nodded for Jordan to strip as well. “I mean, I saw your body after our battle with the Craven, but I think it might look better without the smoke and ash and blood. Just my opinion!”

“Haha, yeah.” Jordan shared his smile and quickly undid his shirt buttons, pausing only when he heard the zipper pulled down on Connor’s trousers, his eyes darting up to watch the other guy push his pants towards his knees. “Mmh.” The Deputy tossed his shirt to one side and followed it a moment later with his jeans and socks, relief pulsing through his crotch when his cock was finally able to bulge properly. “Ahh.”

“Damn, hot and hung!” Connor nodded approvingly, running his eyes over the white briefs with their wide branded waistband and red piping. He started when Jordan reached out and pressed the palm of his hand against Connor’s own bulge, the dark fabric of his trunks obscuring most details. “Ah!”

“You’re pretty big yourself!” Jordan grinned, moving his hand from the front to the back of the underwear, pulling them back together as he gripped Connor’s ass cheeks and his cock twitched in response to the firmness. “But this is what I’ve been dreaming of! Such a fine ass!”

“Haha, presumptuous,” Connor smirked and kissed Jordan’s lips before he rested his hands on Jordan’s hips, grinding against him enough to make the Deputy moan, their bulges rubbing pleasurably up and down. “Your ass looks pretty good to me!”

“Huh, I guess I should have asked,” Jordan muttered, tilting his head so he could kiss the slope of Connor’s neck and the edge of his jaw. “You just look like such a twunk, how could I resist?!”

“You are forgiven,” Connor whispered back, the hint of a laugh in his voice. “Just as well that I prepared for both eventualities.”

“Prepared…oh, Theo.”

“Corey actually.” Connor shrugged and stepped away, glancing around. “Shall we take this to the bedroom? The scent of your arousal is…deliciously overpowering!”

“Oh!” Jordan blinked, absently playing with his cock head in his briefs, oblivious of the wet spot he was creating. He nodded at the hallway when Connor arched a brow. “T-that way, uh, first door on the right; the other one is the bathroom. Do you need to-”

“I do not wish to prolong the foreplay any longer.” Connor shook his head and leant forward, kissing Jordan again. “And I sense that you don’t want to either.”

“You don’t need chimera powers for that!” Jordan smirked, following him into the bedroom.

 

Jordan entered the room first, giving it the quick once over, but unlike his living room, his bed was made and the laundry put away. He nodded at the bed and Connor sat down on the edge, his hands lingering on the waistband of his trunks. Jordan smirked and pushed his own down first, biting his lower lip as his cock was freed, slapping his naval with an eager pulse of pleasure. He grasped the mushroom-shaped head and gave himself a few long strokes, milking out enough precum to make the surface slick and slippery. “Mmh.”

“Nice,” Connor nodded appreciatively, leaning back so he could push his own trunks off. He smirked when Jordan stopped playing with himself and instead looked over at him. “I think you have the length.”

“You’re thicker.” Jordan replied, moving over to stand in front of him. “I know you said the foreplay was over but…”

“I don’t…like cock sucking.” Connor shifted around uncomfortably.

“Oh, ok, that’s cool. We don’t have to do that.” Jordan blinked away his surprise and leaned down to kiss Connor instead, grunting into his mouth when he felt the other guy’s hand on his cock. _Guess he has no problem with handling it though!_ “Mph!” Connor continued to jerk him off, slowly at first, before speeding up, his motions smooth with long-practiced ease to the point where Jordan was no longer thinking about getting blown. He pulled back, catching his breath as Connor just smiled at him. “Damn, you’re good at this!”

“So close already?” The Primus dropped his hand and scooted up the bed, resting on the pillows. He let his arms spread out, his tanned skin a pleasing contrast against the white cotton. “C’mon, join me.”

“Ok.” Jordan nodded, an unfamiliar sensation of being the novice creeping back into his stomach. _I’ve had plenty of sex…ok, probably not as much as the ‘ancient one’ over there. Bet I look like all those college guys I’ve been hooking up with since last year; even though Connor has that sweet freshman innocent face, his eyes are..._ Jordan didn’t let the thought finish, climbing onto the bed on his hands and knees and crawling over to Connor. He bit his lower lip again, heart beating fast as he looked over the handsome form below him. 

Connor’s hands rose and touched his shoulders; one caressing its way down the tensed triceps and bulging biceps of Jordan’s upper arm while the other hand glided over his collarbones and across the smooth hardness of his pectoral muscles. They didn’t talk as Jordan lowered himself on top of Connor, their cocks pressing together with a pleasurable kiss, muscular forms explored by questing fingers and eager hands. Their mouths found each other again, Jordan losing himself in the pleasure of kissing the other man, of bucking against him, feeling Connor tense up and then relax, spreading his legs wider. Jordan let his body slip a little lower, his abs clenching against Connor’s drooling cock, his own dick sliding closer towards the smooth, tight ass Jordan had been fantasising about since he saw Connor that first time. 

“Wait.” Connor pushed him back gently, holding his words until Jordan looked at him. “We haven’t really answered the important question yet, I can see where you’re going; you’re a top, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Ever bottomed?”

“Um, once.” Jordan shrugged. “It was ok, but I prefer topping, and you did say you came prepared.”

“I’m not backing out,” Connor shook his head. “I’m just curious if you wanted to bottom afterwards?”

“After? Won’t you be spent?” Jordan smirked. “I promise you’ll be pretty tired when I’m done with you!”

“And there I thought it was Cerberus giving you such confidence,” The Primus replied with a small smile. “But we shall see if you can live up to your boasts, hmm?”

“You want me to fuck you now?” Jordan reached over to his bedside locker, pulling out a bottle of lube. He paused, looking at the box of condoms and then glanced back at Connor. “Um, Theo said that supernatural creatures can’t get STDs, but he wasn’t sure if the same was true about chimeras or Hellhounds, don’t suppose you know?”

“Huh.” Connor frowned, evidently thinking about his answer. After a minute, he turned to Jordan. “The Hellhound’s flame purges all, so you should be safe and likewise anyone else you sleep with. As for chimeras, those with enhanced healing should be able to negate any diseases carried by others, and they cannot contract them either.”

“You’re sure?”

“Bastet tended to many during the Black Death and she did not suffer any illness, I am sure.” Connor nodded. “But if you prefer the sensation, I have no objection to condoms.”

“I don’t, hate putting them on; it’s either too tight or you get a limp dick!” Jordan grumbled, closing the drawer and settling on his knees between Connor’s spread thighs. “Now…”

“Is this all that you wanted?”

“Well, isn’t it enough?” Jordan hesitated as he popped the cap off the bottle of lube. “Did you want me to do something else?”

“This might well be just a one-night-stand, Jordan,” Connor raised himself up on his elbow to better look at him. “Depending on what happens when we find the Pathologist, I’ll likely be moving on again, probably back to Ka’narack, the city of the chimeras.” He added when the Hellhound frowned in confusion. “So, all I’m saying is that maybe you want to do something _else_ with my ass before you plunge in?”

“Oh, right, haha.” Jordan laughed when he saw a glint of purple haze through Connor’s eyes and he licked his lips eagerly. His cock began to leak more precum when Connor lowered himself back onto the bed and lay back, pushing his feet flat on the bed as he changed position, allowing Jordan to finally see into the smooth crevice of his ass. “Damn, you’re pretty close to what I imagined!”

“Close?”

“Well, I need to look closer!” Jordan smirked and slid down onto his stomach, elbows propping him upright as he helped Connor push his legs back and reveal even more of his ass. _Fuck! Talk about the perfect hole! Not as puckered and tight as I imagined, but I guess I was using Theo for-no, gotta focus! Forget that chimera, focus on this chimera! Never cum from rimming a guy, but Connor might..._ Jordan pushed the rapid firing thoughts from his mind and instead stuck out his tongue and closed his eyes, tilting slowly forwards until he was touching Connor’s perineum. He heard the soft moan and angled himself further downwards, pushing apart the smooth, muscular ass cheeks. Jordan opened his eyes and felt his cock pulse against his stomach as the perfect, inviting hole winked in front of him. “Mmh!”

Jordan kissed the area between Connor's ass cheeks, trying to keep them as far apart as he could, hands on the undersides of the other guy's thighs as Connor rocked back and allowed him full access to his hole. He could feel precum pooling around his cock, staining the cotton duvet, but Jordan just used the extra slickness to grind into the bed as he took wide, sloppy licks up and down Connor's entrance and ranged to the base of his heavy ball sac. Jordan smirked to himself as the moans started getting louder and more pleasured, urging him to begin making out with Connor's hole, his lips smacking against the circumference, the tip of his tongue pushing inside, salvia dribbling down his chin as Jordan rimmed with renewed vigor. "Ahh!"

"Mmh, yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Connor groaned above him, pressing his ass against Jordan's face, his cock rock hard against his naval. "Mmh, yeah, more!"

"Gladly!" Jordan replied, his response muffled by his tongue plunging in and out of Connor's ass, mouthing hard against the smooth exterior, a hot, wet sound filling the air, punctuated by a satisfying pop when Jordan pulled his tongue out and licked another sloppy strip up Connor's ass to his balls. "Mmh, damn, I want to fuck you now!"

"Yeah, sure." Connor replied lazily, reaching for a pillow to support his head. 

"Nice!" Jordan grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he grabbed the bottle of lube he had discarded earlier and squirted a generous helping on his cock before spreading it evenly along his shaft and head. He moved into the kneeling position between Connor's legs as before and positioned his cock at the spit-slick entrance. "Um, do you need lube too?"

"Yeah, toss it over." Connor grabbed the bottle and fingered himself quickly, spreading the lube as Jordan watched, trying not to jerk off, his dick aching to be touched, to be inside Connor. "Done. Let's see what you got!"

"Didn't think it was a competition, hot stuff, but here goes!" Jordan grinned and fed the flared tip of his cock into Connor's hole, feeling a sudden tightness as the other guy tensed. "Sorry, too fast?"

"It's fine." He shook his head and tilted his face away, staring at the ceiling. "Just been a while."

"Right, sure." Jordan hesitated, watching him. _Doesn't sound like that's the problem, maybe I should..._ He made to pull out when Connor spoke again.

"Jordan, don't overthink it." Connor caught his gaze, his expression back to careful openness. "You have the tip in, start working and don't leave me hanging!"

"God, you _are_ a top." Jordan grunted, but followed Connor's instructions, easing his dick in and out of the gradually relaxing hole. Precum mixed with lube as Jordan brushed the head of his cock up and down along Connor's ass when he pulled out, angling himself to get the best pleasure as he dipped back in. "Ahh, yeah!"

"Ohhh!"

"Mmmh, yeah, you're loosening up now," Jordan groaned, his hand lower on his shaft as he finally pushed past the resistance and felt Connor's ass clench around him. The guy's dick was still hard though, Connor only jerking it a couple of times as Jordan put both hands on his thighs to balance himself once he pushed his cock fully inside. "Ahhh!" He gasped, thrusting forward until his balls kissed against Connor's body and then Jordan pulled almost all the way out, feeling his flared cock head tug on the tight outer ring. He took that as his cue to plunge back in, prompting pleasured groans from them both. "Ahhh!"

"Oh, yeah!"

Jordan started moving faster, feeling his body tingle as he pulled his gaze from his dick plunging in and out of Connor's ass and up along his smooth, muscular torso to his handsome face. Connor's lips were slightly parted, just enough for Jordan to see the hint of his front teeth, his eyes half-open, expression lost in a glaze of pleasure. Jordan snapped his hips harder, undulating back and forth in a steady motion, his cock sliding easily in and out of Connor's perfect asshole. The Primus reached for him unexpectedly, hands on his thighs, pulling them closer together as he lowered his legs and crossed his ankles above the swell of Jordan’s ass. "Ahhh!"

“You’re close, huh?”

“Yeah!” Jordan grunted, not slowing down as the hot sound of his naval slapping against Connor’s ass filled the air, his own groans and moans spilling from his mouth. He gripped Connor’s waist and thrust desperately in and out of him, feeling the need rise up inside. “Ahhh!”

“Don’t cum yet.” Connor whispered at him, the hint of a smile playing around his lips as he ran his hands over Jordan’s forearms, reaching up to caress the strained muscles. “At least, try not to.”

“Could be a problem!” Jordan managed, leaning forward to crush their lips together. He pounded into Connor’s ass as he did so, moaning into him as he felt the guy’s abs clench under him and then his ass following a moment later. Jordan broke the contact with Connor’s lips, licking his way down towards his neck and reaching his hands upwards to grasp the Primus’ shoulders. He sucked at the tender flesh between Connor’s jaw and neck, moaning against him. His cock was bouncing in and out of Connor’s ass almost as though it had a life of its own, chasing the thrill of his inevitable explosive climax. “Oh man! Oh, Connor! I’m gonna-fuck!” Jordan bit his lip, staving off his cum to flick his eyes up to meet Connor’s gaze. “Do you want me to pull out?”

“I don’t think you want to,” He laughed quietly and nodded for Jordan to keep going, his expression returning to pleasure as Jordan resumed fucking with the same frantic pace. “You can cum in my ass.”

“Ah, yeah! Thank you! Oh, yeah, Connor!” Jordan cried out, shutting his eyes as he felt his orgasm build up and then rush out of his dick in a cascade of pleasure and cum, Connor’s ass clenching hard around him as Jordan managed a few more quick thrusts before he collapsed on top of Connor’s body. “Ah, ah, ah, oh man, oh, wow, that was awesome! You’re so fucking hot!” He tried to catch his breath, resting his cheek on Connor’s left pectoral as he savoured the expression of bliss and arousal on the other guy’s face. “I-” _No, don’t say that! This is a one-nighter, remember?!_

“Huh?”

“I, I really enjoyed that.” Jordan stammered, rolling off him to lie on his back as his cock drooped to half-hardness, cum and lube and sweat making the large head glisten. He frowned, noticing that Connor was still fully hard. “Hey, you didn’t cum!”

“Mmh, got pretty close though,” Connor shrugged, idly jerking himself off for a moment before he sat up. “I’ll just use your bathroom; clean up.”

"You can shower if you want?" Jordan offered, biting his lip as he watched Connor walking towards the door. _God damn, that ass is literal perfection!_

"Oh, um, I was just gonna clean up and come back." Connor paused, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. "I mean, you were good, but not _that_ good!"

"You dick!" Jordan grunted, shaking his head at him. "You think you can do better? I just came harder than I have in weeks, dude! You’re not gonna beat that awesome sensation by fucking me."

"Really? Well, I guess I'll just jerk off then, clean up and head out." Connor folded his arms across his chest as Jordan chewed on his lip.

"You gonna walk home? It's all the way across town." He ran his eyes over Connor's body and flicked his gaze up to meet the confidence of the Primus' own eyes. _And then he'll be gone, maybe this will be the last time I see him, I don't want it to end so soon!_ "Um, I didn't get prepared down there or anything..."

"You leave that to me, and I'll use a condom." Connor gestured at the bedside locker. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Uh, ok." Jordan lay back on the bed as Connor walked across the hall to the bathroom, looking up at the ceiling. Unexpected excitement blossomed in the center of his chest and his cock returned back to full hardness as Jordan considered what they were about to do. "Maybe it'll be better than the last time I tried bottoming..."

 

Connor glanced at his expression in the bathroom mirror as he finished drying his hands. The fires of his pleasure had dimmed to low embers, his cock turning limp between his legs. He gave it a few tugs, relieved when he started to get hard again. "No point being all talk and no action. Unlike the others, I still enjoy this aspect of humanity. Still, best not to leave Jordan waiting." The Primus nodded to himself, watching his eyes turn purple for a moment, strength rushing through his body and a thrill of arousal firing down his chest into his dick.

When he returned to the bedroom, Jordan had cleaned himself up and was tapping his fingers idly on the duvet, waiting for him. Connor smirked as he took in the other guy's erection and nodded at Jordan. "Looks like at least one part of you is eager for this!"

"I'm cautiously optimistic that you'll do a better job than my college boyfriend." Jordan shrugged, rolling onto his stomach when Connor gestured for him to turn over. "He was great bottom, but a big dick doesn't mean you're a good top."

"Truer words have never been spoken." Connor chuckled and opened the drawer to pull out the box of condoms, placing them next to the lube. "Did he do much preparation, or did he think youth and exuberance would make up for all that?"

"Err, it was pretty sore, I remember that much." Jordan looked back at him, a frown creasing his forehead. "And you're thicker than he was, so this is probably gonna hurt too."

"Relax, your enhanced healing will make things easier," Connor replied, climbing on the bed and reassuring Jordan with a caressing hand on his shoulder. "Plus, I'll go slow, start with some fingers, open you up, plenty of lube. I've done this before."

"Yeah, I bet."

"Meaning?" The Primus replied sharply to Jordan's sullen tone.

"Uh, sorry, that came out wrong." He flushed and averted his gaze. "I was just thinking that you must have had a lot of, um, sex over the...centuries?"

"The other Guardians have long since moved beyond such desires," Connor explained as he moved into position behind Jordan, looking down at his plump, smooth ass cheeks. "I have not; a quibble of immortality or some core aspect of my being, I am unsure. So, yes, I have had a number of different partners, more than I care to count, but spread out across many lifetimes."

"Why don't the-ah!" Jordan grunted as Connor began to spread his cheeks and he responded to the Primus' touch, raising his crotch up as he willingly presented his ass to Connor. "Um, why don't the others have those feelings? Aren't they immortal too?"

"They endure because the Overmind endures; it lies dormant in our sacred city, awaiting the ideal host to be implanted within." Connor nodded to himself, absently pushing Jordan's ass cheeks wide enough to see the light pink hue to the outside of his hole, the pale valley smooth to the touch. He felt his cock twitch; eager to push through the tight ring and fill the space beyond. Connor popped open the bottle of lube and squeezed a bead onto his index finger. "This will feel a bit cold at first."

"Ah!" Jordan flinched as Connor pressed the pad of his finger against his ass. "Mmh, it is cool, but I don't hate it!"

"That's a start."

"So, this Overmind, uh, there's more than one?"

Connor paused in the middle of spreading the lube around Jordan's asshole. "How do you know that?"

"Um, we had one..." Jordan looked over his shoulder at him. "Well, the Dread Doctors are the ones who had it."

"The Overmind is in two parts, united only once at the height of our empire." Connor explained, returning to his task, this time adding more lube to his finger as he prepared to push it inside Jordan's clenching hole. "After the Gathering War, the host was mortally wounded and the Overmind was removed. We divided it into two organs, hiding them in separate cities. Obviously, the traitor-err, the Pathologist to you-managed to find one of them and entrusted it to the other Doctors. Ugh." 

"Sorry, shouldn't have brought it up." Jordan said quickly, pressing back against Connor's finger, the tip teasing the edge of his hole. "Mmmh, that feels good though!"

"It's about to feel better." Connor whispered and pushed his finger inside, the lube providing silky smooth passage through the tight outer ring. He grinned when Jordan cried out, arching his back. "That was just my finger, wait until my cock is pushing into this tight ass!"

"Mmh! Now I'm looking forward to that!" Jordan moaned, reaching back to give his leaking cock a quick pull. "Damn, I'm so horny again!"

"I might need to implement a 'no touching' rule if you're gonna cum without being fucked." Connor laughed as Jordan shot him a dirty look, the effect ruined as his expression crumpled into pleasure when Connor flexed his finger inside his hole. "Haha, yeah, I think you're ready for another one."

"I-ahhh! Yeah, ok, two is good!" Jordan moaned, keeping his back arched as he pressed his forehead into the pillows nearby. 

His ass clenched around Connor's fingers as the Primus slowly pushed deep and then pulled out, adding another squeeze of lube on top of them. He pressed back in, pulling Jordan's ass cheeks apart with his free hand after dropping the bottle onto the bed. Connor grinned wider as Jordan's moans got louder and needier, his body beginning to buck back and forth, riding Connor's fingers. "You like that, huh? You want more?"

"I like it! I definitely want more!" Jordan panted, his cock slick and shiny with precum as he kept his hands away from it. "Go up to three already!"

"If you're sure..." Connor waited until he got another pleading groan from Jordan and then nodded. He grabbed the lube again, this time pulling his fingers out completely much to Jordan's complaint. "Relax, this will stretch you, I want to make sure there's enough lube."

"I already feel wet and slick back there!"

"And now you're gonna feel even sloppier!" Connor pushed his three fingers into Jordan's eager hole and held them in the entrance as the other guy let out a long, satisfied moan. "Almost ready, just let me stretch you out, tell me if it hurts.”

“Uh huh, feels so good!” Jordan grunted, lifting his head to look back at Connor. "Ok, you totally know what you're doing, I’m really looking forward to what comes next!"

"You're not alone in that," Connor winked at him and twisted the three fingers inside Jordan's hole, stretching his entrance again and prompting a fresh chorus of moans. "Ok, I think you're almost there. You're still pretty tight-"

"That's what makes it feel so good!"

"Haha, ok." Connor laughed and pulled his fingers out, shifting his weight as he did so. He climbed off the bed onto the floor and wiped his fingers on a handful of tissues. "Come over to the edge and lie on your back."

"Good, I want to look at you while you're fucking me." Jordan panted, scrambling to follow Connor's instructions. "Have I told you that you're the hottest guy I've ever seen?!"

"Um, just now I think." Connor smiled at him and heard Jordan's heart beat faster. He tore open the foil wrapper and fished out the condom, rolling it on as Jordan looked away. "You're pretty damn hot yourself, Jordan, I'm not just hooking up with you because your friends want us to, I do like you."

"Mmh." Jordan nodded, jerking off slowly as he turned back to Connor, eyes locked on his latex covered cock. "This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"

"It doesn't have to if we go slow enough." Connor replied, moving into position between Jordan legs, angling his cock downwards. He paused, looking at Jordan's hole, no longer a light, unspoilt pink, the edges were redder now, the rim an inviting darker shade as he clenched the sphincter open and shut. The smooth skin glistened with excess lube, leaving his crevice slick and sloppy as though Connor had rimmed him for hours. 

He wetted his lips, gripping the shaft of his thick dick as he pressed the tip between the two smooth valleys, grinning as he heard Jordan groan longingly. Connor swiped his dick up and down outside Jordan's hole, pressing against the opening every time he got close, but not pushing inside just yet even as the guy cried out a little louder each time. "Almost..." He whispered, teasing Jordan with one more pass before finally easing the head of his cock into the tight ring. "There we go."

"Ahhhhh!" Jordan's groans grew higher, but his face was relaxed, no sign of pain or distress. "Oh that feels good!"

"Hold onto that feeling then," Connor murmured, pushing Jordan's legs back as he angled his dick to better get inside the clenching hole. He slid in with the aid of lube and a constant pressure, not stopping until all of his inches were buried inside the tight ass. "Jordan? You ok?"

"Aww, I feel so full!" He groaned, rolling his head back as he reached for a pillow to support himself. Jordan looked at Connor and nodded. "It's a good feeling!"

"I'll let you get used to it before I start moving." Connor smiled at him, eyes lingering on Jordan's arms, still thrust behind his head, his biceps made prominent by the action. "You look great, your body is awesome, perfectly muscular, if we had more time, I'd..."

"What?"

"Let's just say it'd involve lots of oil and lots of touching!" He smiled again, arching his hips back slightly as he prepared to pull out. "I'm gonna start moving now; this is the part you're gonna enjoy the most."

"It feels good, still not sure it's better than being on top though." Jordan shrugged, closing his eyes as Connor pulled his cock almost all the way out, stopping when the thickness of his head opened his rim again and then a moment later his ass was empty. "Ooooh! Oh that feeling!"

"Glad to give it to you again!" Connor pushed in fully once more, this time not pausing when he bottomed out, but instead began to rock in and out, never pulling his dick fully out as he built up their momentum. He grinned as Jordan started moaning non-stop, his hand reaching out to grasp Connor's forearm where he held the guy's legs back. Their motion sped up as Jordan cried out for him to go faster, Connor sliding in and out of him with rapid thrusts, the tightness giving way to pleasurable clenching and a slick, lube-enhanced fuck. "Aw, yeah, you like that, Jordan?"

"Ah, yeah! Oh! Oh, yeah!" Jordan moaned in response, pushing his ass against Connor every time he ploughed back in. Sweat glistened on their smooth bodies in the warm light of the lamps lit around the room, Jordan's hand wrapped around his cock as he jerked every few seconds, clearly unwilling to cum and end his pleasure so quickly. "Ahh! Ahh, yeah! Oh, Connor, fuck!"

Connor pressed his lips together, adjusting the angle suddenly as he pushed Jordan further back on the bed, allowing him to climb back on to the duvet, his cock not slowing its assault on the other guy's hole as he did so. He leaned to one side, planking his body as he thrust rapidly into Jordan's ass, hearing the high, panting noises caused by the change spilling from Jordan's lips. Connor kept fucking him, still managing to hit Jordan's prostrate even as he chased his own pleasure, widening the previously tight hole with every long, deep stroke. "Oh, yeah! Oh, so perfectly tight!"

"Ahhh!" Jordan groaned, looking at Connor as the Primus lifted himself on one arm to better slam into his ass. He stopped trying to keep his voice down as more moans and pleasured grunts spilled from his mouth with each thrust. "AHHH!"

"Yeah, you're close now, huh?!" Connor grunted, slowing down and looking up at Jordan's handsome face and lust-addled expression. "You liking this? My thick cock in your tight ass?!"

"Uh, harder! Give it to me harder! I fucking love your dick!" Jordan moaned, rubbing his hand over his pecs and down his clenching abs as he started jerking off at a normal rate. "I want to cum with you fucking me!"

"Hmm, sounds like you really do." Connor grinned and pulled out without warning.

"Ahhh! Put it back in! Fill me with your cock, Connor!" Jordan begged, overcome with arousal.

"Turn over. Get on your hands and knees." The Primus commanded, helping Jordan to flip around, pulling his ass back to meet the head of his dick. As Jordan pulled the pillow under his chin for support, Connor squeezed more lube into the well-fucked valley of Jordan's ass. "You look good sloppy! We should do this again when you have time to prepare; with a few loads in this tight ass you'll never want to top again!"

"Oh man, I love the sound of that!" Jordan groaned, a happy moan escaping his lips when Connor pushed his dick back inside his ass again, the passage easy this time. "Ahhh, yeah!"

Connor fucked him hard this time, no longer holding back as Jordan urged him on; his cock ramming in and out with rapid thrusts. He pulled Jordan up against him, thrusting up and down as he kissed the back of the other guy's neck, savouring the long moans and endless groans of pleasure. Connor's hands slid across Jordan's sweat-slick skin as he used one hand for grip, thumb flicking against his erect nipple, the other reaching down to join with Jordan's own around his cock. "Ah, yeah, that's it! Jerk off for me, you're so close, Jordan!"

"I am, fuck, I am!" Jordan hissed, arching into him. "Cum in me! Cum in me! Cum in me!" He repeated over and over as their hands moved quickly together. 

"You're gonna cum for me first though, Jordan," Connor whispered in his ear as he licked a strip from his neck to his jaw, slowing his thrusts just enough for Jordan to moan needily under him. "Aw, yeah, you want my cock now, don't you? More than anything, huh? More than fucking my ass, right?"

"Ahh! Ahh! Yes! Yes! Yes! I never want you to stop fucking me!" Jordan howled, arching into him as Connor resumed pounding his ass. His cock spurted out his second load of the night, shooting in long arcs across the duvet as their hands kept moving across the slick shaft. "Uh! I'm cumming!"

"Yes you are!" Connor growled and snapped into him one final time, feeling his own orgasm firing off, his cum flooding the condom. "Aw, yeah! Oh, yeah!"

"Ah, ah, ah..." Jordan panted, falling slowly onto the bed as Connor stopped moving inside him. Their hands were still clasped underneath his body when the other guy made to pull out. "No! Uh, stay there a little longer, I meant what I said, I want your dick in my ass."

"All the time?" Connor smirked, but he lay down against Jordan, hearing him sigh contentedly. "Ok, at least until I go soft, then I'll shower and-"

"Stay." Jordan rolled over enough to look at him, his expression open, a hint of vulnerability in his green eyes. "Please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to end the chapter here as the rest is important plot stuff that didn’t really match the tone of the smut. Hopefully will update next week too.


	6. Bad Blood

Dawn’s early morning rays fell over Connor’s eyes as he woke up, Jordan slumbering peacefully next to him. The Guardian Primus rubbed his face as a familiar dream faded from his thoughts and he remembered what had happened hours before. _Ah, that. Yeah, time to go._ He rolled off the bed as quietly as he could, snagging the used condom that he hadn’t taken off before falling asleep and wrapped it in a wad of tissues. Connor pulled on his trunks and lingered next to the bed, waiting until Jordan moved in his sleep, turning over into the warmth where Connor had been minutes ago. The Primus leaned down and placed two fingers on the center of Jordan’s forehead, his eyes burning with purple fire. _Time to wake up, Cerberus, I still need you._

Jordan’s eyes flicked open, bright orange-red pushing away his natural green as a healthy flush bloomed across his naked chest. “Ancient one?” His voice was deeper, Cerberus looking at him. “You and my…you are finished?”

“We are.” Connor moved away from him towards the door, going into the living room to retrieve his clothes before he returned, fully dressed. Cerberus was still sitting up in bed, watching him. “Hold out your hand.” The Primus dropped the wadded tissue and used condom into the Hellhound’s palm and nodded. “Burn it, incinerate it, no trace must remain, understood?”

“Yes, ancient one.” Cerberus’ eyes burned brighter for a few seconds and the air above his outstretched arm shimmered in a heat haze until a moment later, the tissue caught fire and was immolated. “It is done.”

“Good, now go back to sleep; your vessel needs more rest.” The Primus instructed him. “All too soon the fighting will be upon us and you could be the difference between success and failure.” 

“As you say, ancient one.” He laid back down and closed his eyes, his posture relaxing as sleep took him again.

Connor nodded to himself and slipped out of the bedroom, stopping off to wash his hands and face in the bathroom. As he patted his skin dry, he checked on his phone, having left it in his trousers the evening before. “Ah, Anubis has news…he’s in the Imperial Hotel downtown and he retrieved my car from the club. Hmm, no matter.” The Primus checked the location and grimaced. “On the other side of the town, ahhhh, better get going…”

 

The walk through the early morning streets of Beacon Hills was quiet, as he had expected of a Saturday morning, only the occasional car or truck passing by. The eastern sky was a window of blue amongst otherwise oppressive dark clouds that seemed to be rolling in from the direction of the forest, the wind strengthening into a strong breeze just as Connor made it to the front of the hotel. A fat raindrop landed on the pavement before him and the Primus ducked inside, nodding at the bellman who jerked suddenly to attention. _Caught napping? Hah, I would have thought the night guards would be more alert in this town._

Connor pushed the door open by himself, stepping into a plush lobby; richly decorated in dark purples and shiny brass that could have been gold in another city. The Guardian Primus caught Horus’ attention when the other chimera stood from the small sitting area, placing his newspaper neatly on the coffee table. “I did not expect to see you here.”

“Anubis wanted to talk; about Bastet and…older times.” Horus shrugged, not quite meeting Connor’s eyes. “The others are resting, well, Sobek is resting, Taweret said she wanted to look at Bastet’s apartment in Boston, see if there might have been something we overlooked.”

“Hmm, good enough.” Connor looked to the side as Anubis gestured at them from the breakfast area, indicating that they should join him. The hotel’s guests were mostly still asleep, a few bleary-eyed twenty-somethings slumped into their chairs as servers brought them steaming cups of hot coffee to ward off a long night’s partying. Connor sat down opposite Horus and Anubis, a smile pulling at his lips as they shuffled their chairs as far apart from the other as possible without straying from the table. “Did you have a good night last night?”

“It was fine,” Anubis smirked. “A bit uncomfortable trying to drink with this human face, I don’t know how you stand it!”

“Millenia of practice.” Connor replied dryly.

“It was an acceptable diversion,” Horus frowned, shooing away a server with an irritated gesture. “The stench of the dogmen was hard to ignore…but I followed your commands. None of them were killed. Or injured.” He added when Connor looked at him sharply. “I assume your night went better, Primus?”

“Yeah.” Connor clicked his tongue at them as he caught the chimera’s unspoken disapproval. “Sometimes one must live in the flesh you are in, Horus.”

“I did not say anything, master.”

“No, you did not.”

“Um,” Anubis spoke up as the silence became tense and charged, “We did not request your presence here, Primus, to talk about the past. We believe that we have the general area in which Bastet is being held. And I-”

“You did not like Ra when he was alive,” Connor cut across the other chimera to glare at Horus, the man averting his own gaze as his cheeks colored. “I do not understand why you object to indulging in mortal pleasures even after all this time. And do not think that I have forgotten him, Horus, I will never forget Ra.”

“He was your chosen, the traitor killed him, but then you did nothing, you who can reshape mountains with the clench of a fist,” Horus leaned across the table, his voice a hoarse whisper as the beginnings of purple fire blossomed in his eyes. “Are you telling me that the greatest of all chimeras could not bring his chosen back?”

“Not from where the traitor sent him; far beyond the gates of Osiris’ realm, beyond the reach of all the gods.”

“But even a pinch of your true-”

“Did you take precautions?” Anubis interrupted again, nodding pointedly at Connor’s crotch. “I tried not to pry, but you didn’t shower so…”

“I used a condom.” Connor nodded and shrugged. “And burned the contents afterwards with Cerberus’ help.”

“And he didn’t find that suspicious?”

“The Hellhound knows how to follow commands, and even if he was curious, he did not ask.” Connor sighed and gestured for one of the servers to come over to them. “Can we please move on to what we know about where Bastet is?”

“Certainly.” Horus grunted, waiting for the woman to move away. “She is being held in the forest.”

“That much seemed obvious.”

“Yes, well, it’s a large area, even for me to cover.” Anubis shifted in his seat, eyeing the approaching plate of pastries. “I wasn’t having much luck until Taweret suggested that I concentrate not on the areas I could sniff out, but those I could not.”

“The traitor has some sort of blocking mechanism?” Connor frowned, nodding his thanks as a cup of coffee was placed in front of him and he gestured at a croissant. The Guardian Primus waited until the other chimeras were served and then continued. “We have not seen this ability before, are you certain it is related to him? There are mysteries on mysteries in this town.”

“I am sure.” Anubis nodded again, “It is the Craven, they have been augmented.”

“Bah!” Horus grunted. “Vile monsters!”

“Indeed.” Connor agreed with a short nod. “How have they been augmented? What fresh horrors has the traitor come up with?”

“The good news is that I caught no scent of the plague on them,” The Guardian replied, sipping his coffee. “It seems likely that the traitor stripped that ability away in order to mutate them further to the point where the only thing one smells in that part of the forest _is_ the Craven.”

“A mask, to better hide whatever sinister plots now occupy him.” Horus muttered darkly. “We’ll need to investigate more; I’ll do a flyover after breakfast and maybe Taweret can find some connection in Bastet’s belongings that might shed more light on why the traitor is _here._ There must be something more to the traitor’s continued presence now that he knows we are here too.”

“That’s a good point,” Anubis agreed thoughtfully as he carefully licked the inside of the coffee cup, his magical disguise faltering for a moment to reveal his velvet black snout. “Apologies, Primus.”

“You need rest; we all do.” Connor dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. “It is possible that the traitor has something worse than the Craven at his disposal; that is why he lingers here. In any case, I intend to rescue Bastet tonight and capture our hated enemy as well.”

“Capture?” Horus looked up sharply. “Not kill?”

“He will be killed; he will answer for his crimes.” The Guardian Primus assured them. “But not here, not in this town tainted by the presence of so many werewolves. No, Taweret will return us to Ka’narack and _there_ the traitor will face his punishment.” Connor stood up, the other chimeras hurriedly following him as he swept from the breakfast room. _Wait a minute._ He paused beside one of the brass pillars behind their row of tables and glared at the loose folds of the purple drape.

“Primus?” Anubis sniffed the air and shrugged. “There’s nothing there.”

“You are certain? I can almost catch a…” Connor’s words faded away and then he blinked and turned on his heel. “Who else is staying here? Any of those new chimeras the traitor and his fellows made?”

“Yes, Primus, several are staying in a suite upstairs, I saw them come in a while after the club closed.” Horus explained as the trio walked towards the grand, sweeping staircase. “Their scents are mundane; their essence harvested from impure stocks; though they have been grazed by the Overmind, but not truly touched by its divine power.”

“Hmm, you felt it too?” Connor mused, turning to look at the empty air behind them. “I have much to tell you about what happened to the second Overmind organ; it does not seem that we will be able to retrieve it after all.”

“Can’t you just-” Horus cut himself off when Connor shook his head. “Hmm, what is your command, Primus?”

“Sleep and then find the others and meet me in the motel at two.” The Primus directed them with a pointed finger. “It will be a safer place to talk and we will have much easier access to the forest when the time comes.”

“As you command, Primus,” They both muttered and bowed before him as Connor nodded and headed for the exit. “So shall it be done.”

 

Corey waited until the trio of Guardians had disappeared from sight before he breathed a sigh of relief and reappeared, pressed against the drape. _That was close…I swear he knows I’m there…_ After catching his breath and making sure that they really were gone, Corey moved away from the pillar and crossed the lobby, heading for the elevators and Theo’s suite. _It’s all about to go down, the entire reason that they’re here. They talked about “the traitor” but that has to be the Pathologist, and they were looking for the Overmind, the other one, so more than just what the Surgeon used on us? Hmm, I don’t like this._

By the time Corey finished his thoughts, the elevator had arrived at Theo’s floor and he walked quickly down the hallway, letting himself into the suite with the key card Theo had given him earlier that week. He carefully stepped over the sleeping body of Josh who was sprawled out on the carpet near the door, Hayden having dozed off in the empty bathtub while Tracy was curled up under a spare blanket on the couch, the bed remaining reserved for Theo and Corey. Corey crouched next to his boyfriend and reached out to touch his bare shoulder, giving him a shake. “Theo!” The chimera hissed, repeating the name until Theo blinked his eyes groggily and woke up. “Finally!”

“What is it?” Theo mumbled, rolling over as Corey stood up. “Why are you dressed already? What time is it?”

“Um, still early.” Corey shrugged before sitting on the edge of bed beside him. “I couldn’t sleep and went out to see when they were serving breakfast-”

“I promised Josh we’d get room service.”

“Not the point, Theo!” Corey glared at him. “While I was down there, I saw these two guys from the club; the chimeras that were with Connor, you know? The ones with the strange purple glow. Not that I could see it, but I didn’t really need to, they were clearly waiting for someone.”

“Connor, right?” Theo sat up, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hand as he tried to shake off the effects of not enough sleep. 

“Yeah.” Corey paused for a moment and then continued. “I found a quiet spot, cloaked and then listened in on their conversation.”

“Corey!” Theo groaned at him, disappointment radiating from his frown. “Why did you do that?”

“Because we need to know why they’re really here and what they want!” He replied snappily. “C’mon, Theo, I know you don’t like being left in the dark either. We know they’re non-Dread Doctor chimeras only because Parrish told you that, we know they’re here for the Pathologist and to rescue their friend, but there has to be more to it than that.”

“Ok, ok, did you find out anything useful or new?”

“Hmm, Connor said that he and Parrish hooked up,” Corey grinned as Theo smirked, but his expression dimmed a moment later. “They talked about something called the Craven, it sounded like some sort of creature, possibly the ones that passed us in the forest that night. And they’ve found the Pathologist somewhere in the forest, but it wasn’t like they were giving each other directions.”

“Ok, this is getting serious,” Theo chewed his bottom lip. “I think it’s time we talked to Scott and Stiles, share what we know, see if they’ve encountered these monsters before, and then, I’m not sure, should we confront Connor? I mean, this is our town too, they can’t just come in and-”

“Pretty sure they can.” Corey broke across him with a grimace. “I saw Connor at the end, giving orders to the other two and they bowed, Theo, _bowed_! He’s used to having people obey him, I’m not sure he’d take too well to use barging in and demanding answers.”

“Barging where?”

“Oh, he said that they’re meeting at the motel at two.” He explained. “We should be there, all of us, chimeras, Scott’s pack, Parrish. Like you said, this is our town, we have to protect it, or at least, offer our help.”

 

Jordan sighed contentedly as he pushed the lever for the shower away from him, shutting off the intense rushing torrent of hot water. It was almost too hot to bear, but he had discovered recently that the searing heat and clouds of billowing steam were strangely pleasant and enjoyable. “Maybe not too weird though, huh?” He smirked at his reflection in the mirror after wiping it clear of fog and saw a brief flicker of fiery red and orange rim around the pupils of his eyes. “So, you’re awake now, Cerberus?”

_I have always been awake._

“I meant after…Connor woke you back up, right?” Jordan began to towel himself dry as his mind’s eye conjured up the image he thought of as Cerberus; a large, red-furred dog with plumes of fire dancing around his shoulders and head, two burning coals of almost demonic fire glinting in his eyes. “That must have been weird, huh?”

_Not really, I have experienced the ancient one’s power before, many times over my many vessels. But you are the first the ancient one has…taken such an interest in._

“Huh, guess that’s a good thing though; it’s not like he’s just interested in me because I have the Hellhound’s powers.” Jordan left the bathroom, his towel slung over one shoulder, naked feet padding on the floorboards as he made his way to the bedroom. The sheets and duvet were in a pile on the bed, last night’s clothes joining it as he wandered over to his closet. “I kind of wish he had stuck around though; it’s my first morning off in weeks, we could have got breakfast or something.” There was no reply from Cerberus and Jordan shrugged, glancing into the wastepaper bin. “Hmm, I hope he didn’t flush that condom down the toilet; it’ll clog the pipes up…again.”

_Do not concern yourself with that; the ancient one had me dispose of it._

“Wait, what?!” Jordan looked up sharply despite being alone in the room. “You…burnt it? Why?”

_No explanation was offered and I would not question the commands of the ancient one._

“Yeah, but…” Jordan frowned and then shook his head, walking over to his underwear drawer. “I guess it’s handy, but it’s still really weird.”

 _Perhaps the ancient one did not want…_ Cerberus’ train of thought cut off abruptly before he resumed a moment later. _There is a large number of vehicles outside our house and the chimeras Corey and Theo are at our door._

“What? How do you-” Jordan was interrupted by the doorbell and his mental image of Cerberus seemed to smile smugly at him. “We need to get those powers in sync, buddy.” The doorbell rang again, and Jordan grabbed a pair of trunks to pull on as he walked quickly out of the bedroom. “I’m coming!”

“Well, hello there!” Corey grinned impishly at him when Jordan opened the door, his gaze moving obviously down the man’s muscular torso and flushed skin towards the bulging outline in his neon-green trunks. “That’s what I call a good morning surprise!”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Jordan blinked and dropped his hands in front of his crotch. “Hey guys, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” Theo replied, his eyes carefully fixed on Jordan’s own. “Um, maybe it’s better if we do it inside; the McCall pack are kind of behind us.” He gestured towards the street and Jordan looked over his head to see the convoy of vehicles that Cerberus had alerted him to; Stiles’ blue Jeep parked behind Theo’s truck, Tracy and Josh in Hayden’s convertible behind them, then Scott’s motorbike, and finally, Lydia’s Toyota at the end of the column, Malia and Kira visible in the passenger and rear seats.

“Yeah, that seems like a plan.” Jordan muttered and backed away as Corey brushed past him, slightly closer than he needed to. Theo followed him inside and Jordan closed the door, no longer feeling as self-conscious about being half-naked with the two chimeras now that they were alone. “This looks serious.”

“Mmh, yeah,” Corey waved his concerns away and grinned instead, his eyes still roving over Jordan’s body. “So…how’d last night go? You were gone before we even had the chance to say hello; the rest of the chimeras, I mean.”

“Yeah, it was…good.” 

“Good?” The younger chimera arched a brow as Theo sat down on the couch and pulled Corey down beside him. “It was more than good, right?!”

“Yeah, ok, more than good.” Jordan couldn’t help but smile at them and he grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the pile of laundry on his dinner table. The cop smirked when Corey looked put out for a moment as he pulled the pants on. “My eyes are up here, Corey!”

“Yeah, but something else has my attention, ow!” He glared at Theo when his boyfriend nudged him in the ribs. “Sorry, I was just…excited to see if Connor is as good in bed as he is about keeping secrets.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that the other chimeras; the ones who came to join him a few days ago, they’ve found out where the Pathologist is and are going to confront him, rescue their lost chimera.” Theo explained, gently pushing Corey back into the couch so he could lean forward. “Corey, um, overheard them talking about it in our hotel lobby this morning. We just don’t want whatever their mission is to result in more people getting hurt. Besides, the Pathologist is one of the Dread Doctors, we have a stake in this, Jordan.”

“Ok, very serious.” Jordan chewed his bottom lip and glanced at Corey, the chimera watching him with a neutral expression. “You’re gonna keep hinting at this all day until I say something; so yes, Connor was really, really good and-”

“Hah!” Corey chirped excitedly. “I knew it! So, is he really jacked? Or just like Theo’s build? And is his dic-”

“Corey!” Theo snapped. “We have a life or death situation on our hands here! Compare notes for your fantasies later!”

“Sorry, I just…you didn’t have to try and convince Connor to come to the club, you know.” He muttered, folding his arms as Jordan smirked at them. “He’s hot, sure, but also kinda scary.”

“Yeah, he’s hot.” Jordan agreed, catching Theo’s impatient eyes. “But rapid-fire? He’s got a nice body; kinda like a mix between yours and Theo’s, not as broad in the shoulders as you, Theo. And he’s versatile, so you figure out how big he is!”

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Theo growled. “Connor and his people are having a meeting at his motel in fifteen minutes. I’ve convinced Scott to join us on this one; we might need the extra support if things go bad. Plus, there’s those monsters to deal with.”

“Connor called them the Craven,” Corey supplied, still grinning impishly at Jordan. “Me and Theo saw them in the forest, they looked pretty mean and there are a _lot_ of them too.”

“Hmm, ok,” Jordan stood up and the other two joined him as he walked back towards his bedroom to finish getting dressed. “Um, did I tell you guys that these chimeras really don’t like werewolves?”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend?” Theo offered, leaning on the doorframe as Jordan pulled his socks and sneakers on, Corey moving forward to perch on the edge of the bed. “They’re gonna meet sometime; Scott wasn’t thrilled that they were intervening in Beacon Hills without even talking to him first.”

“I thought that he was a little arrogant though.” Corey glanced back at Theo. “I mean, sure, he’s rescued everyone and stopped a lot of bad guys, but at the same time, it’s not like he’s some sort of supernatural ruler.”

“This doesn’t sound like a good idea, guys.” Jordan sighed, grabbing a tight-fitting t-shirt and pulling it over his head. “Maybe you should let me talk to Connor first; I know him, I’ve met the other chimeras. Let me at least be the first person they see coming.”

“Well, let’s ask Scott before we leave.” Theo shrugged.

“Ok, let’s go.”

 

The Guardian Primus sighed as he glanced between Anubis and Horus bickering over their plan of attack, their earlier friendliness forgotten in favor of reopening old arguments. “I don’t really care who started the war; and neither does anyone else, they’re all dead!”

“Well I wasn’t the one impersonating the Pope, was I?!” Horus growled at Anubis. 

“Hardly my fault, you encouraged those savages attacking my holy city!”

“It wasn’t your holy city, it was mine!”

“Oh, only for five hundred years! I’d been there for a thousand!”

“You piggybacked their religion for yourself!”

“Overmind grant me patience…” Connor groaned to himself and looked back down at the table. There was a satellite picture of the area of forest that the traitor and his Craven had been tracked to displayed on a tablet, the image flickering now and then as the satellite feed was updated. _Another of Anubis’ little tricks. Useful, I suppose, to have the ability to call on the humans’ advanced technologies. But Horus’ flyover also showed that the only unusual thing there was thicker foliage than elsewhere in the forest._ “Enough.” Connor called out as their voices got louder. The duo fell silent and looked at him angrily. “We are doing nothing but giving our enemy time to prepare; we must strike now and whatever the traitor has placed in our path will be destroyed.”

“Of course, Primus.” Horus smiled suddenly, bowing his head in Connor’s direction as Anubis growled. “That is what I have been saying all along.”

“I still think we should wait for my thermal imagining request to be processed.” The dog-headed chimera sighed. “We might get a better impression of the number of Craven surrounding the traitor.”

“We have fought them before; I agree with Horus.” Sobek shook his long snout and turned his head so he could look at the group fully. “Besides, there are few creatures that can truly pose a threat to the Guardians when all are assembled. I am sure that once we breach the place where Bastet is being held, she will help us in the fight.”

“Hmm, and what of this place where the traitor has kept her?” Connor glanced at Taweret. “Did you find anything in her apartment?”

“Nothing that would tell us where she is.”

“But there is evidence from the maps provided by the Ranger Station in Gold Mountain that there was some sort of hunting camp or storage buildings in the area from the pioneering days.” Anubis replied. “The Sheriff said he didn’t know of anything in that part of the forest, but those buildings would be quite old from a human’s perspective. My thermal scans might show-”

“We don’t have time to wait for them!” Horus snapped.

Connor sighed again and turned away, looking out through the open door of his motel room at the gently swaying treetops across the street. He glanced down at his hands, letting his serrated claws slide out as the memories of millennia of conflict and battle rose to drown out the arguments behind him, one in particularly dragging him back into the past.

 

**Eight Thousand Years ago, the Gathering War**

The Guardian Primus knelt down next to the Overmind, a frown pulling at his blood-splattered features as he watched the vessel slump back and his eyes glow a bright purple once more before they faded away into the man’s natural dark green shade. Taking a deep breath, the Primus looked up, casting his gaze across the battlefield, seeing similar moments happening between the surviving chimeras as countless scores died. He could feel the boost of power that had infused them since the beginning finally begin to fall away, the Overmind’s influence draining into the hot sand along with the vessel’s mortal life essence. Grave wounds were ripped into the flesh of his torso, white spurs of the rib cage visible between the torn muscle and the slow beating of the Overmind organ as it began to shut down.

The Primus got to his feet, feeling a rustle of wind behind him as Horus landed some distance away. He wiped his claws clean on the cloak of a fallen chimera nearby and waited for the Guardian to join him. “It is done?”

“The One Who Gathers has been captured, master, its final remnants taken by the tree priests. They will lock it in one of their prisons, Bastet has gone to ensure your commands are carried out.” Horus looked mournfully at the body of the Overmind and then at the Primus. “What do we do now?”

“Find the others; we must take the body back to Ka’narack, our loyal priests can extract the Overmind organ until such a time as another vessel is offered by the gods.” The Primus replied stiffly, not glancing down, his gaze fixed on the battlefield instead. “Find out how many died here too, I would have their names inscribed on the city walls as a testament to their sacrifice.”

“Glory to you, Primus!” Horus replied swiftly and shot into the air like an arrow released from a bow.

“Primus.” Another voice reached his ears, youthful and still eager despite the carnage of the battle. “I…oh, I felt the loss of power, but I did not know what caused it.”

“The Overmind has fallen, Ra.” He looked at the younger chimera and gestured for him to approach; his once pristine white and gold robes had been rent apart during the battle; blood and gore shed by his fury spilling over his vestments and skin. The Primus shrugged when Ra looked at him in concern, “I was not here, too busy fighting the last of the other monsters, a bitter failure.”

“You did all that you could, I am sure.” Ra touched his shoulder lightly. “The battle is won; the creature contained, our losses were heavy, but you endure, Tem. You can rebuild our empire above any others, especially if you use your-”

“Enough.” The Primus cut him off with an irritated wave of his hand. “The future does not concern me now, rather the present is more important. Did you succeed in tracking the traitor to his hiding place?”

“The high priest was not there; only signs that he had been, some unusual tracks, but all lead into the desert.” Ra took a step back as Tem growled angrily and the ground began to quake, reflecting his displeasure. “Once we have celebrated our victory and honored the fallen, then we can begin hunting the traitor.”

“Very well, I will see you in the city.” The Primus replied and began walking away from him, through the battlefield’s lifeless grey sands stained with the blood of chimeras and humans alike.

**The Present**

Connor blinked and pulled himself out of his memories as the sound of multiple engines filtered into his awareness. The Guardian Primus looked towards the road and frowned when he saw Parrish’s police cruiser leading a column of several other vehicles into the motel’s parking lot.

“What’s going on?” Sobek asked from behind him. “Primus?”

“I’m not sure, could be trouble. Remain here until you are needed.”

“As you command.” 

 

Theo parked next to Parrish’s cruiser as the rest of the cars pulled into the parking lot and the chimeras of his own pack joined Scott and his friends in a group in the middle of the asphalt. Deputy Parrish had also got out, standing a little in front of them, facing off against Connor. Theo let his eyes glow for a moment, smiling as the supernaturals around him lit up in their various hues; the deep purple glow surrounding Connor had a strange wavy element as though it was concealing something else. The chimera shrugged and nodded for Scott to join him next to Parrish. “C’mon, let’s introduce you guys first.”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded, lowering his voice when he walked up to Theo. “He doesn’t look like much, I mean, I was expecting-”

“Something more imposing, werewolf?” Connor called out; his arms folded across his chest. “Failing to understand your opponent and simply attacking is one of your kind’s most universal traits.”

“Right, um, if you say so. I’m Scott, Scott McCall.” The Alpha walked forward with his hand extended before Theo had a chance to stop him. But Connor just looked coolly at him and kept his arms folded. “Uh, ok. Theo says you’re called Connor, right? Although Deputy Parrish said you go by your title too, um, Primus?”

“What do you want, little werewolf?”

“Ok,” Scott wrinkled his nose and took a step back. “I’m the Alpha in this town, me and my friends have been taking care of whatever supernatural stuff happens, I just want to know what you’re doing here.”

“Primus?” Another of the Guardians emerged from the motel room behind Connor, a male figure of imposing stature, his stern expression exaggerated by the magnificent span of feathered wings that rose from behind him to cast a shadow over Connor’s face. “What is going on?”

“Horus, this _werewolf_ ,” Theo could hear the distaste in Connor’s voice as he gestured at Scott. “This Alpha seeks to know what brings us here.”

“Truly?” Horus smiled nastily, his eyes burning with the same purple fire that filled Connor’s gaze. He raised a hand and long, sharp talons slipped out. “And tell us, little dogman, whose blood did you spill to get your red eyes? How many have you killed in ‘protecting’ this town of yours? What-”

“Connor.” Parrish cut across Horus and looked at the Primus. He held out his hands as though trying to calm the tension rising between the two groups. “Please, I know you and your Guardians have a problem with werewolves in general, but all we want to do is help out, ok? Help you find the Pathologist and end the threat to Beacon Hills.”

“Hmm.”

“And I’m a _True_ Alpha, thank you very much.” Scott added, quickly taking a step backwards when Connor shifted his unfriendly stare to him. “Um, we don’t kill people; no one in my pack has ever killed anyone.”

Theo grabbed Corey’s hand when he felt his boyfriend about to protest. After a silent struggle, Corey grunted and stopped resisting. _Yeah, thanks Corey, Horus looks like he just needs an excuse to start a bloodbath with those talons!_

“And you think your…pack can help us in our search?” Connor asked after a few minutes of tense silence.

“We know the forest better than anyone.” Scott nodded and gestured at the group behind him. “Plus, there’s a lot of us, we can find whatever place you’re looking for.”

“What if there is fighting?”

“We can fight, as long as you don’t expect us to kill for you, we’ll defend ourselves.” Scott replied quickly after looking at Theo for agreement. “You look like you’re able to take care of that part.”

“Haha, a little bit of fire in this one!” A booming voice came from inside the motel room, revealed to be the crocodile-headed chimera when he came outside with two more. “I like him, Primus!”

“For lunch or dinner?” The dog-headed chimera beside him laughed as they lined up behind Connor. “Haha!”

“We don’t want to fight you,” Scott recovered quickly from the shock of seeing the animal-headed chimeras as Malia and Liam hurried over to him and Kira pulled out her belt sword, flicking it from loose links into a sharp blade. “But we-”

The Guardian Primus smirked and raised his hands, sweeping them apart in a smooth motion as Scott’s words cut off abruptly, the ground beneath them shaking and trembling with enough force to throw everyone but the Guardians off their feet. Connor lowered his hands again and walked across the cracked asphalt to look down at Scott’s surprised expression. “You have courage, werewolf, I’ll give you that, and chimera allies too. Hmm, my Guardians will not like this, but very well, you may join our council.”

“Primus-” Horus started to object but a swift look from Connor shut him up. “As you command, master.”

“Stand up,” Connor said, turning to walk back into the motel room. “Bring your advisers with you, the rest can remain outside.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Scott stood up and rubbed the back of his head. “Stiles, Theo, Liam? You want to join me? You better come too, Parrish.”

 

Corey looked up when the door finally opened and everyone came back out, Scott and Stiles walking over to the girls, snippets of their conversation reaching him. Connor and Parrish were standing next to the officer’s cruiser, the Primus appearing to be listening intently as Parrish talked, his hands gesturing between them. Theo was lingering next to Horus and the hippo-headed chimera, and Corey slid off the hood of Theo’s truck, about to join his boyfriend when he felt someone touch his shoulder. “Huh? Oh, it’s you.”

“You don’t have to sound _that_ excited, Corey!” Liam laughed, the smirk disappearing quickly when Corey just looked blankly at him. “Um, yeah, I wanted to talk to you, without Stiles or Theo being around, I mean. You’re never…it’s hard to catch you alone.”

“Well, you caught me.” Corey grunted, taking a step away from him and stuffing his hands into his pockets. “So, are we joining forces to go after the Pathologist and the Craven?”

“The Craven, yeah, the winged one told us about them.” Liam shrugged. “Looks like Connor is on board with a joint mission, even if he has some reservations. Stiles isn’t exactly happy either though.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah, but, um.” Liam floundered in the awkward silence before he took a breath and looked Corey in the eye. “That wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“No shit.” Corey glared at him. “Just spit it out already.”

“Fine, why are you so hostile towards me all the time?!”

“You’re joking, right?” Corey shook his head as Liam shrugged innocently. He pressed his lips together and reached out, grabbing Liam’s arm to pull him away from the group. 

“Hey! W-what are you doing?”

“You want to talk in private, we can talk behind Theo’s truck, no one will hear or see us.”

“Ok… so what’s your beef with me?”

“I still can’t believe you don’t get it.” Corey growled at him. “Look, everyone else seems to have forgiven you and moved on, but I haven’t, even Theo forgave you, and you killed him!”

“I…he’s alive!” Liam stared at him and then pointed behind Corey. “He’s right over there!”

“I’m not going to forget what you did, Liam, or why you did it, or how you did it.” The chimera’s voice was hard and his expression glacial. “Theo said that you thought he was after Stiles, that you had an argument and you had the option to just let it go. But you didn’t. You attacked him. You wanted him dead. And it doesn’t matter that Theo came back, because you acted with the intention of making sure he wouldn’t just be wounded; you _wanted_ him dead.” Corey repeated slowly.

“Yeah, I was jealous and afraid and…” Liam shook his head and looked away from Corey. “I learned from it, ok? It’s not going to happen again; I got my punishment and-”

“Punishment?” Corey barked a laugh at him. “What punishment? You still have Stiles, your freedom, your pack, everything.”

“I don’t have my best friend; I don’t have Mason.” Liam shot back. “He became a monster because I wasn’t here, remember?”

“You ran away, and it was Mason’s choice to become a puppet of the Dread Doctors.” The chimera’s lips formed a narrow line across his face. “Like I said, you have everything, including Scott protecting you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Guardians, those other chimeras; they hate werewolves; think you’re a bunch of killing machines who get off on murder and torture and death. There’s a story there for sure, but do you think they’d hesitate for a second after hearing that you killed Theo? Someone who was innocent _and_ a chimera?” Corey held Liam’s eyes as the werewolf looked around in panic. “Yeah, Horus would probably rip you apart with those shiny talons he has.”

“You wouldn’t do it.” Liam replied. “Theo would hate you for it.”

“Yeah, you’re right, I won’t tell them.” Corey admitted. “I’m not you; I don’t solve my problems by ripping their throats out.”

“I…” Liam blinked, reeling backwards at the vehemence in Corey’s voice. “That’s…”

“Theo is too damn nice for this world and he wants to be friends with you and Stiles, fine, ok, whatever, I’ll tolerate your presence for him, but don’t ever think we’re gonna be friends, Liam.” Corey glared at the werewolf. “You’re not getting a free pass from me for what you did.”

“Well, what do I need to do?” Liam asked, his expression hopeful before Corey answered.

“More.”


	7. Fury of the Ancients

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains strong, bloody violence and themes of horror. There is also explicit sexual content (not at the same time!) with unprotected anal sex, please use protection in the real world!

The sun had sunk to low enough in the sky that the tops of the trees in the forest were obscuring it, casting shadow and gloom over the party as they walked in small groups among the silence. Jordan glanced at the stoic expression on Connor’s face, a grim determination that emphasised the angles of his strong jaw and handsome features. He wetted his lips, feeling tension grip his stomach as he followed the Primus deeper into the forest, Scott’s pack clustered together around their Alpha while the chimeras walked beside Theo and Corey, the Guardians remaining on the edges of the group, constantly on alert, looking around carefully. Anubis was leading them from the front, Connor a few steps behind him and Jordan next to the Primus. The air hung heavy with anticipation and the careful breathing of those around him. “Um…”

“What is it?” Connor whispered, glancing at him. “We’re nearly there.”

“How do you know?”

“Listen.”

Jordan frowned and stopped moving for a moment before catching up to him. “I don’t hear anything, other than us.”

“Exactly. Where is the birdsong? The rustling of woodland creatures? The steady hum of insects about their work?” Connor shook his head. “There isn’t any…it’s far too quiet.”

“So that means?”

“Either the Craven are shadowing us or else they have come this way so frequently that nature has learned to remain silent.” The Guardian Primus glanced to his other side as Scott moved past him, walking over to Anubis. “Hmm.”

“I don’t get it,” Jordan muttered, shifting closer to Connor so his words were private. “I’m not claiming to know everything about you, but I think I know you don’t like werewolves. So, why ally with Scott?”

“Sometimes an alliance of convenience must be adapted if one wishes to win.” Connor shrugged. “Besides, the werewolf was right when he said that they have more people. Against the Craven, you need all the help you can get.”

“He won’t kill any of them though.”

“Not even to save his own friends?” Connor arched a brow and then chuckled. “A pacifist werewolf? Now that would be a thing! Even if he does not shed their blood, his presence will be enough to distract the Craven, give us an opportunity to strike.”

“I got your back.” Jordan nodded determinedly and placed a hand on his holster, feeling the reassuring weight of the sidearm. He glanced up when Connor’s lips twitched. “What?”

“We’ll need Cerberus more than your handgun tonight; he could well be the difference between victory and defeat.”

“I guess.” He sighed, running a hand down his chest. “I really liked this shirt though.”

 _You can take it off beforehand._ Cerberus’ chiding voice echoed in his mind and Jordan bit back a laugh.

“I guess so.”

“You have mastered communication with him, yes?” The Guardian Primus nodded happily as Jordan shrugged. “Good, good. The Craven do not like fire; they are used to the darkness; blind them and then unleash hell upon them.”

“Yes…ancient one.” Jordan grimaced as he felt Cerberus force his vocal cords and mouth to form the words. “Sorry, he wants me to bow too, but I’m not-”

“It’s not necessary,” Connor dismissed him with a wave, his attention fixed on Anubis who had stopped moving. “Wait.” The word was whispered through the air and the group halted as Scott nodded at his friends to obey. “Come with me, Jordan, quietly.”

He nodded and followed Connor over to where Anubis and Scott were crouched in the leaf mulch, looking at deep tracks in the mud from the previous night’s rain. “What is it?” 

“We are here.” The dog-headed chimera looked over his shoulder at them. “These tracks…no natural creature makes them. And the woodland beyond…”

“It feels wrong,” Scott said, shivering before he managed to recover. “It feels like there’s something watching us, waiting for us.”

“Hmm, the first attack will come soon.” Connor straightened up, gesturing for Theo and Corey to join them. “Gather your packs, keep them close and form a circle around the frailer ones. Werewolf, I know you do not wish to kill, so aim for their chests and legs; weaken them and my Guardians and I will kill them. There is a weak spot at the neck, just under the chin, should you change your mind and want to bloody your claws.”

“We can help with that.” Theo said after a nudge from his boyfriend. “It won’t be pleasant, but they’re monsters, beyond saving, right?”

“There was never anything to save in the first place.” Connor grunted as Scott shook his head in disappointment. “Let’s go, no point waiting for them at the edge.” He pushed forward, leaving Jordan to nod reassuringly at Theo and Corey.

“C’mon, guys, let’s get this over with.”

 

The first attack came with little warning, the crack of a broken twig and the rustle of unnatural feet in the dry leaves was all that Theo heard before Corey was dragging him to one side; long, sharp talons raking through the air where he was standing a moment before. Loud roars sounded out from all sides and Theo looked up to see scaled, werewolf-like monsters streaming through the trees towards them. “Form a circle!” He shouted out, pulling Corey to his feet and gesturing for Josh and Hayden to team up with Tracy. “Over here!”

“Rawrr!” 

The ground behind him exploded and the monster that had been on their tail suddenly stopped roaring, its cries turning to screams. Theo looked over his shoulder to see that it was impaled on dark stone spikes, the Guardian Primus standing nearby with his hand outstretched. “Cool.”

“C’mon, Theo!” Corey tugged him close and the duo managed to make it over to the other chimeras as Horus sailed through the air overhead. The falcon-headed chimera landed in the middle of a group of the Craven, his silver wings seeming to turn metallic as they sliced through the monsters’ chests in a shower of black blood and gore. “Grab my hand, everyone grab hold!” The chimera glanced around and then closed his eyes, extending his camouflage cloak over the group.

Theo watched as Sobek laughed and charged headfirst into the Craven that were threatening to overwhelm Scott’s left flank, the crocodile’s mouth opening and his sharp teeth gleaming in the fading sunlight. But the chimera looked away before the impact, squeezing his eyes shut as he heard the almighty snap of the powerful jaws and the unnerving crunch of bones and bodies. Theo felt Corey’s grip tighten and he looked at his boyfriend. “What?”

“There! Anubis has wounded a bunch of them by the big tree, let’s finish them off!”

“Ok, carefully.” Theo agreed and the group moved through the battlefield as Josh’s body began to spark with coils of electricity rippling up and down his torso. “Don’t electrocute us, Josh.”

“I won’t, but I’m ready to fry them!”

“Go!” Corey shouted, dropping their hands and making the chimeras visible again. He stepped back as Theo dashed out and punched his fist through the soft tissue at one of the Craven’s necks. Josh stretched his hands outwards and grabbed two of the injured creatures, transferring his charge into them until there was an unpleasant scent of burning hair on the wind. Tracy and Hayden had peeled off to the side, teaming up to defeat the remaining Craven with their claws. “Alright! Well done!” Corey cheered as another explosion rent the air behind them. “Wha…”

Theo looked up to see Connor standing across the battlefield, his hands held aloft as the earth in front of him shook and quaked so violently that deep crevices opened up and the Craven fell inside. Without ceremony, the Guardian Primus lowered his hands and the ground snapped back to normal, the Craven remaining trapped in the soil; some buried up to their necks, others trashing around desperately, their claws scrabbling for purchase. Connor nodded at Anubis and the other Guardian appeared to grin, moving from each monster to next after he ripped their throats out. “Woah.”

“More will come.” The Guardian Primus stopped next to him. “Good work, glad to see that at least some of the chimeras’ legacy burns beyond the Overmind’s gaze. We keep moving.”

“S-sure.” Theo whispered, watching the Ancient chimera turn and gesture for Scott’s pack to follow him. “That was-”

“Epic!” Corey hissed excitedly. “Oh man, why couldn’t I have gotten powers like that?!”

“Alright calm down.” Theo patted his boyfriend’s arm. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“Hmm.” Corey shrugged, his eagerness fading as they passed Liam and Stiles. The werewolf’s claws were bared but unbloodied and Stiles’ baseball bat was unblemished. “At least we helped out.”

“What was that?” Theo called out, following Connor and a now-shirtless, slightly smoking Parrish deeper into the forest.

“Nothing.”

 

The second attack came as suddenly as the first, though this time there were three times as many of the Craven as before. They rushed through the trees, their savage roars made all the more malevolent by the barbarous glow in their eyes and failing daylight. Jordan felt Cerberus assume control of his body as Connor nodded at him, his shoulders and chest enveloped in searing flames that cascaded down his arms onto his hands. Long, twisted claws slid forwards from his nails and the Hellhound dashed forward at the Primus’ side. “Yarrrr!”

The Craven closest to him recoiled and tried to flee but Cerberus reached out and grabbed its tail, dragging the unfortunate creature backwards into his fiery grasp. The Primus was a shadow nearby, manipulating the ground to create walls of hardened earth and soil and forced the Craven to attack along paths that the other Guardians were waiting on. When a monster did manage to get close, Connor lashed out with brutal strikes, ripping great gouges down the monsters’ stomachs and spilling vile entrails onto the ground. 

Cerberus roared again, turning away from Connor to stomp across the smouldering leaves of the forest and confront a group of Craven that were harassing Scott’s group. He saw the Alpha push one of the monsters away but stopped Malia before she could deliver the killing blow. The Hellhound laughed, a deep, hoarse sound, and thrust his hands outwards, fire spilling from his arms and body to engulf the Craven, sending the rest of the monsters sprinting backwards in fear. 

Jordan blinked as suddenly he regained control of his body and he stumbled backwards, grabbing Connor’s arm when the Guardian Prime reached out to help him remain standing. “Thanks…ugh, my mouth tastes like an ashpit.”

“Well, you’re not breathing fire yet.” Connor smiled at him as the earthen walls around them slowly crumbled back into soil. “The Craven flee again, and Anubis tells me that we are almost at the center of this copse.”

“Good, I don’t want this go on for…” Jordan blinked as he replayed what Connor had just said. “Wait, _am_ I going to breathe fire?”

“Perhaps.” The Primus smirked and gestured for the other Guardians to gather around. “The Craven have tasted our fury and they know that we cannot be stopped. We did not have time to pray to our divine Overmind and ask for favor in this battle. But with the blood of our enemies now spilled, I call upon on the might of the Overmind to bless us in the coming conflict!”

Jordan wiped his mouth with back of his hand as the Guardians raised their hands and muttered something he didn’t understand. _Err, well, I guess the power of prayer might help. Although, I wonder does Connor know that Theo has part of their…god in him? That might make the Overmind a little less divine, better not say anything._ He swallowed uneasily when Taweret looked back at him, cunning eyes matching his own. But Jordan pulled his gaze away when a strong breeze rustled through the trees and sent a shiver down his spine. 

The Guardian Primus’ eyes burned again with purple fire and he rose from where he had got down on one knee. There was a renewed sense of strength in Connor’s face and body as Jordan walked alongside him towards the thickest part of the forest. “Did that really…”

“The Overmind may be half a world away,” Connor glanced back at Theo and Corey’s group before looking at Jordan. “But its divine touch is carried by each Guardian and echoes of it linger amongst the newer chimeras. The blessing will bring us strength in the battle to come, Jordan, and belief is a great shield.” He added as a whisper against Jordan’s ear.

“Understood.”

 

“We are here.” Connor stopped moving, nodding at the overgrown barns and log cabins that made up the old hunting campground. He saw Anubis pointing at the tracks beaten into the mud outside the largest barn and nodded. “This one.”

“How can you be sure?” Scott asked, moving to stand next to him. “There’s mud and tracks all over and they…smell really bad!”

“One of the defenses the Craven possess.” Connor shrugged. “Try not to breathe too deeply, they may no longer carry the plague, but their bile can be poisonous.”

“Plague?!” The werewolf stepped back hurriedly. “You never said anything about that!”

“You did not ask.” The Primus moved past him, feeling Scott glare at his back. “Come along, little werewolf, our mutual enemy is at hand.”

“Hey! Stop calling me that, I’m perfectly big, thank you!”

“Oh?” Connor turned around to see Scott flushing and everyone staring at the Alpha. “If you say so, though this is hardly the time or place for you to, hmm, demonstrate such claims!”

“Grr.” Scott growled half-heartedly. “Let’s just go.”

Connor chuckled to himself as Jordan smirked and fell into step with him. “Anubis, have you opened the doors yet?”

“Yes, Primus, they are unlocked.”

“The basement goes deep.” Sobek added, pointing at the thick concrete foundations that had been added at some point to the barn’s original wooden construction. “The Craven tend to live underground to avoid the sun. If they tunnelled all over the forest and into the town, they could pop up anywhere.”

“I will collapse those tunnels once the traitor is in our grasp.” Connor clenched his hand into a fist. “Throw open the doors, Cerberus, you must lead us into the depths.”

“Um, sure.” Jordan nodded and staggered slightly forwards as the Hellhound took control again, igniting himself into a man-shaped torch of orange and red flames. Cerberus bowed to the Primus and walked forwards, down the rough concrete steps that led into the gloom. “This way, ancient one.”

“Theo, Scott,” Connor turned to look at them as the other Guardians began to follow Cerberus down the stairs. “This is your last chance to turn around, there is no telling what abominations the traitor has created in the darkness.”

“We’re not backing out.” Theo replied, matching Connor’s purple-eyed gaze.

“If they’re in, we’re in.” Scott agreed after looking back to see Stiles and the others nodding at him. “No one from Beacon Hills is dying today.”

“Good, follow me, and keep close.” The Primus moved away, passing his fellow chimeras until he was behind Cerberus. Chattering noises could be heard from all sides as they passed from concrete floors onto earthen ones with unpleasant crunching underfoot. _Skulls and bones I imagine, the Craven eat everything and anything, but meat is preferred, whether wild or…human._ “Don’t look down.” Connor called out, rolling his eyes when he heard the younger werewolf yelp in horror. “I did warn you. There is worse yet to come.”

Cerberus’ fiery form lit up the entrance to a wider chamber and Connor reached out to touch his shoulder, the flames parting along the edge of Jordan’s neck. The Hellhound stopped moving and his fires went out completely. “Connor?” Jordan’s pulse was fast, and he grabbed the Primus’ arm. “Ah, good, my night-vision isn’t good.”

“It will improve and there is a glow ahead.” Connor released him and moved past, raising his voice above a whisper. “This way, the traitor lies just ahead; I can smell him!”

“Yes, Primus.” The Guardians replied together, pushing forwards as Connor led the way into the central chamber.

 

The darkness was slowly banished to a soft glow of warm light that appeared from large copper basins of oil that lined the edges of the chamber, the flames burning in each one creating a pocket of empty space as the Craven avoided the light. Instead the monsters were in constant motion, slithering and sliding over each other, their rabid chatter a grating sound on Connor’s nerves as he walked forwards towards the raised dais at the end of the room. 

The other Guardians were in a tight formation behind him and he could smell the sudden spikes of fear and nervousness from the teenagers further back. The Craven were not attacking this time, but the Primus could sense their malevolent eyes watching every movement, awaiting the moment they could strike. The clattering of claws on the stone floor near the entrance confirmed his fears that they were boxing them in, but Connor fixed his gaze on the scene at the other end of the chamber. _The traitor…at last!_

A humanoid figure clad in thick leathers stood beside the stone slab that was atop the dais, a smooth mask covering his features, gloved fingers stretching and clenching as Connor moved ever closer. On the altar next to him was another figure, unmistakably feminine, unmistakably a chimera, her purple eyes glowing in sympathy with the Guardians’ own. 

The Primus stopped several feet away, close enough to see the fresh scars and smears of blood that covered Bastet’s body. But before he could storm the dais and attack the traitor, a phalanx of Craven skittered forward and filled the gap between him and the Pathologist. The Primus glared at the Dread Doctor, “Finally, we meet face to face again.”

“My luck runs out it seems.” The traitor’s voice was wheezing, a harsh grating sound that escaped from somewhere under the mask to fill the air with contempt. “Not that I expected my creatures to keep you at bay, ancient one. But I did think I would have more time to extract valuable essence.”

“Grr!” Connor snarled when the traitor held up a vial of purple liquid, an ultraviolet glow emanating from the glass and obscuring his gloved hand. “You dare to interfere with the Overmind’s creation?!”

“As high priest I was never going to be a chimera, but I know enough about their creation to know it was not divine.” The traitor laughed and circled around to the front of the stone slab as his Craven began pushing forward from the back of the chamber, forcing everyone to bunch up. “Interesting that you formed alliances, ancient one, the new chimeras…perhaps I should not be surprised, their leader carries a piece of your Overmind after all.”

“Huh?” Horus turned to look at Theo before glancing back to Connor. “Primus?”

“I had suspected some lingering trace, but I could not be sure.” Connor shrugged as Horus grunted unhappily. “It did not seem relevant to our task, not yet.”

“Ah, the legendary wisdom you possess, ancient one!” The Pathologist laughed again and shrugged as the Guardians returned to looking at him and Theo shrunk back, the scent of his nervousness lacing the air. “But it is the werewolves, the _dogmen_ that I did not expect you to ally with; the first enemy, the oldest, those who perverted nature’s true course.”

“I did not come to trade barbs with you, traitor.” Connor spat at him, balling his hands into fists as Jordan inched closer to him, the Hellhound’s muscles tensed and ready. “Surrender now and I will grant you a quick death among the sands of Ka’narack.”

“Hiding something, ancient one?” The Pathologist moved around so he could see Scott standing behind the cluster of Guardians. “My colleagues had great hopes for you, True Alpha, short-sighted, of course, but then they did not have the knowledge of years that I have had. Time enough to learn that you cannot trust these chimeras not to turn on you the moment your alliance is complete.”

“And we should trust you?” Scott shook his head. “You kidnapped teenagers and turned them into chimeras against their will, you enslaved them using some sort of creature that Connor and his people…worship and excuse me if I don’t want to take advice from the guy with an army of rat men!”

“Nice, Scott!” Stiles hissed at him as the Pathologist grunted and slipped vial of stolen essence into his coat pocket. “Now, let’s-”

“Do you know why your new ally hates the werewolves so?” The traitor talked over him and gestured at Connor. “It is an ancient feud, back through the mists of time, though perhaps not for a being like you, Primus; the passing of the years is as water from an infinite fountain.”

“Shut up.” Connor glared at him. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the earth and rock around them, the freshness of the tunnels on either side. _I could bury them all, best to be careful._

“What’s he talking about, Connor?” Scott asked, curiosity in his voice. “Is this some sort of old grudge?”

“It is the oldest of grudges.” The traitor replied silkily, spreading his hands wide as he began to speak in a sibilant hiss. “And lo! The greatest of all gods did create the universe and all in it from the sea of chaos, including himself. But he was lonely amongst the emptiness of the world and he brought forth two beings of lesser, though equal power so that they could dance and revel among the virgin planet. And more came forth, gods and goddesses to populate the world and from them came man and woman, lower beings to toil and serve and raise monuments to the infinite power of their ancient gods. And thus the sea of creation dwindled to a lake and then pond until finally it was but a puddle in a long forgotten cave.”

“Enough of your tales!” Connor snarled, raising his hand to strike down the nearest Craven. He averted the attack when the Pathologist arced a bolt of electricity towards him and Connor was forced to jump back. “Argh!”

“I am not yet finished.” The Pathologist snapped, looking back at Scott. “They must know, ancient one, they must understand who you are and what you have done.”

“I’m willing to listen.” Scott nodded carefully, ignoring the muttered protests from his pack. “Keep talking.”

“But of course.” The Pathologist oiled, turning towards Connor. “A priest of the creator god came upon the wastewater of creation and in her arrogance, she sought to match the divine’s work. She took men from the nearby villages and jackals from the sands beyond the cave; casting both into the puddle and merging them into ferocious beasts; creating the, haha, dogmen as the Guardians called them.”

“What?” Scott looked from the Pathologist to Connor. “But that-”

“The foremost such creation was known as the First Wolf; the origin of _your_ kind, Alpha.” The traitor continued speaking. “And he waged a war against the humans; turning first the priest who had created him and then countless others, propagating his line upon the Earth. But the creator god did not enjoy this perversion of the sacred waters and delivered unto the humans a weapon, a sign of his favor as the only shaper of forms; the Overmind. The chimeras that followed unleashed their fury on your ancient kin, Alpha, and the Primus as you know him, he killed the First Wolf and swore eternal retribution on all who would dare subvert the will of the creator. So you see, he is not to be trust-”

“Rawrrr! You will pay for your treachery!” Horus leapt forward suddenly, cutting off the Pathologist and leaving him no time to react. Several Craven jumped upwards instead, colliding with the winged chimera as he crashed into the wall behind the altar.

“Story time is over.” Connor snarled, clapping his hands together with a loud bang. The earthen walls of the chamber exploded outwards, tons of rock and soil crashing inwards to bury the Craven that had surrounded them from the rear. “Guardians, attack!”

“Argh!” The Pathologist unleashed a lattice of electricity towards them, warding off Anubis and Taweret as they made to intercept him. “Not today, chimeras!” He leapt backwards into one of the dozen of tunnels that lead out of the chamber.

“Primus! He’s getting away!”

“No!” Connor roared, stretching out his hand to collapse the tunnels when he hesitated, seeing the frightened expressions of the teenagers behind him. _I’ll bring the whole place down…_ “Gah! Let him go.”

“But-”

“Kill the Craven and free Bastet.” The Primus ordered as he turned his claws on the hordes of Craven that still filled the chambers. “We will find the traitor again.”

 

Jordan ducked a slash from the Craven in front of him, their long claws raking the air over his head. _Now would be a good time to come out, Cerberus!_ He heard an echoing roar that built up in his chest before it exploded from his throat, accompanied by a gout of flame that scythed outwards in a charring arc. The monsters croaked and then fell sideways, cut in half. 

Cerberus nodded and darted forwards to smash the chains that held Bastet’s arms tied to the stone slab. The chimera hissed her thanks and jumped up, purple eyes flashing in the gloom, her cat head shifted for a moment to that of a beautiful young woman with raven-black hair before it reverted back. She bared her needle-like claws and dived into the fray alongside Connor, slashing furiously at a Craven that was attacking the Primus’ back. 

He acknowledged Anubis’ grin and turned away from the Guardians as they slaughtered the Craven, more streaming out from the tunnels along the rear of the chamber. Instead, the Hellhound looked over the melee towards where the chimeras and Scott’s pack were fighting the monsters. He shouldered his way through the fight, incinerating any Craven that came into his path, finally reaching Theo and Josh. “What happened?”

“Josh took a bad cut to the stomach.” Theo called out, pressing his hands into the other chimera’s chest, blood spilling out between his fingers. Tracy, Hayden, and Corey had formed a box around them, barely holding off the Craven until Kira charged along the line, her fox-spirit flaring into brief visibility as her sword chopped through the Cravens’ legs. “Finish them!” Theo shouted at the trio and then looked back at Cerberus. “Where’s Connor?”

“Neck-deep in the enemy.” Cerberus growled, waving for Theo to remove his hands. “Josh; this will hurt, but you will start healing. Hold his shoulders, Theo.” The Hellhound waited until the fire around his hand was burning white hot and then he pressed down suddenly, cauterizing the wound.

“YAHGHH!” Josh yelled out, his scream audible over the sounds of battle before he slumped back on the ground, passed out.

“Was that really necessary?” Theo glared at him, checking Josh’s pulse. “He’s alive.”

“Of course he’s alive, he will heal.” Cerberus replied without emotion and stood up. “Protect your chimeras, Theo, they are spreading through the battlefield.”

“Where will you be?”

“The ancient one attacks a Craven leader, I must aid him.” Cerberus turned around and dashed back towards the Guardians, sending a wave of fire on either side and wiping out several dozen more Craven as Theo stared after him.

 

Theo left Josh with Tracy and tried to find Corey in the gloom, his blood-red vision helping as more of the copper bowls were tossed over and flaming oil was either quenched by Connor’s terrakinetic attacks or it was gathered up by the Craven who burned to death. The chimera swept the battlefield, stopping only to take out any monsters who got in his way, using his claws to puncture the thin flesh at their necks and leaving them to bleed out. 

He was close to where Scott and his pack were fighting when Theo finally caught sight of Corey. His boyfriend was surrounded by Craven bodies, their heads bashed in, his own torso and face covered in cast-off and brackish blood. “Corey!” Theo called out, “Over here!”

“Hayden, look out!” Corey shouted, pointing Theo towards their friend, the chimera about to be overrun by five Craven. “Theo, help her!”

“I’m on it!” Theo turned away and ran across the uneven floor to assist Hayden, taking out the monster that was behind her. “You alright?”

“Not a good time to chat, Theo!” She barked; her hands wrapped around a Craven’s head as its jaws snapped ineffectually at the air. Hayden grunted and broke the creature’s neck, tossing it to one side. “Ok, let’s smash some heads!” 

 

“Haha, take that!” Corey shouted out, smashing the iron bar he had found into the skull of a Craven he had appeared behind. “I might not have claws, but I still have strength!” He looked up as a baseball bat went flying past him, Stiles’ attack ineffective against the Craven’s thick hide. Corey made to cross the distance and finish the monster, but Liam got to his boyfriend’s side and dragged Stiles away as Kira whirled through, her sword slicing the Craven cleanly in two. “Nice!”

“There’s too many!” Liam cried out as one of the Craven took a swipe at him. The werewolf danced backwards, pushing Stiles away from the monster. “Scott? Scott, we need you!”

Corey looked towards Liam and groaned as he realized he was the only one nearby. “Bloody werewolves, never killing when you want them to…” He hefted his improvised club and vanished, reappearing next to the attacking Craven. Corey swung the weapon hard and grunted in satisfaction as the bar smashed open the side of the monster’s skull, spraying blood and brain matter in a wide arc over Liam and Stiles.

“Aww, gross!”

“You’re welcome.” Corey smirked and vanished again, moving through the battle, this time to attack a Craven that had pinned Lydia down. He danced away from the monster’s attacks and lashed out at its legs, delivering the final blow to its head. Corey looked up when he heard Liam shout out and rolled his eyes. _Fine, I guess I’ll rescue you again…_

By the time he had returned across the battlefield and dispatched three more of the Craven, Stiles was trapped against the wall, brandishing his recovered bat and Liam was struggling against one of the bigger Craven who had him in his grasp. Corey darted forwards, crippling the hulking monster, forcing it to drop Liam onto the ground. “Ok.” The chimera turned to deal with the ones pinning Stiles in when Liam jumped to his feet.

“I’m coming, Stiles!”

“I’m literally right here.” Corey muttered darkly, the rest of his retort of Liam left unsaid when the werewolf shoved him out of the way into the claws of a waiting Craven. “Argh!” He cried out, the bar dropping from his suddenly numb fingers. “You idiot!”

“Huh?” Liam turned around guiltily.

“Help me!” Corey glared at the werewolf as the Craven ripped one hand out of his back and stabbed him in the chest. “Ahh!” Liam was glancing between Corey and Stiles and the chimera saw the decision in his eyes. “You bastard…”

“Sorry.” Liam muttered and ran away from him, picking up the fallen iron bar and fending off the Craven that were menacing Stiles.

“Son of a-argh!” Corey cried out as the Craven’s claws in his back flayed higher and the uncomfortable sensation of blood pouring out of his wounds came over him. _My legs! Why can’t I feel my legs?!_ The chimera rolled his head back to look up at the horrifying visage of the Craven as the monster dropped him on the ground and raised both hands to deliver the killing blow. “Arghhhh-”

 

“Corey!” Theo shouted out, hearing his boyfriend’s terrified gurgle and the wrenching way it was cut off. “Corey, where are you?!” He spotted the Guardian Primus nearby and dashed over. “Connor!”

“What is it?”

“Corey, something’s happened to him! Please, you gotta end this!” Theo begged him as the blood-soaked Primus glanced at him and nodded. “I’ll find him, I’ll, I’ll…”

“Calm yourself.” The Primus gestured for Bastet to stand next to him. “Shield the Guardians and mortals both, it is time to send these monsters into the flames of the underworld.”

Theo grimaced as he felt his ribs repairing themselves after a blow from one of the Craven who were attacking Hayden, but he tried to ignore the pain as he looked around for Corey. A sudden, golden bubble of light surrounded him and everyone else, before they were lifted slightly off the ground. Theo’s eyes widened and his blood pounded in his ears when he saw the limp body of his boyfriend encased in a golden sphere close to where Stiles and Liam were huddled together. “Corey…”

There was a sudden groan from under their feet and the earth fell away, crashing into a dark pit, taking the remaining Craven with it. Theo pulled his eyes from Corey and looked down instead, watching the monsters tumble away into the depths, lost in the darkness save for a line of red fire far in the distance. Connor was floating in the air like the rest of them, ghostly wings at his back; his eyes burning purple, the glow almost blinding as his hands were raised aloft. The Primus closed his hands slowly and a moment later and the stone floor was restored; all that remained of the battle were the blood-covered warriors and the bodies of Josh and Corey.

 

“You came for me, Primus.” Bastet bowed her head in his direction, reverting to her human form as Connor turned away from the teenagers. “I am grateful.”

“As if I would forsake you to the traitor, I am only sorry that we did not get here sooner.” Connor sighed, taking her hands in his own, looking at the other Guardian. “Did he take much?”

“Some; samples of blood and flesh, easily restored.” She gestured at the slab. “This is not his main workshop however; it was there that he stole part of my essence. I feel weak, tired.”

“Rest will do you good,” Connor nodded and released her. “The traitor did not siphon it all; you still have your abilities, yes?”

“As you saw.”

“Hmm, there is much we must discuss. I trust you learned something of the traitor’s plans and why he remains in this town?” 

“Yes, Primus, but that conversation should not take place here.” Bastet gestured behind him where the teenagers had gathered around something. “The battle was not won without cost.”

Connor turned around and walked over to the group, seeing Jordan crouched on one knee next to Theo who was sitting on the floor, Corey’s unresponsive body cradled in his arms. The Primus frowned, taking in the blood all over the ground and smeared on Theo’s hands and chin from where he had been hugging his boyfriend. A quick glance at the others revealed nothing but a pained expression from the revived chimera called Josh and a guilty expression from the younger werewolf, Liam. _Interesting. The heat of battle can make allies look like foes, I wonder…_

The Guardian Primus knelt down in front of Theo and reached out, pushing up Corey’s blood-sodden shirt to examine the wounds. “Hmm, the Craven struck many times; chest, stomach, head.”

“Can’t you…can…” Theo sobbed, the words not coming as Jordan shuffled closer, comforting him.

Connor glanced at Bastet, seeing her nod. “Very well, take him to the altar. Jordan, keep Theo back please.”

“What?! You, you, can’t take him!” Theo clung on desperately until Connor undid his grip and Horus pulled Corey gently away from him. “No!”

“Be at peace, we will restore him.” The Primus gestured for the other Guardians to bring Corey’s body up to the stone slab, lit only by the flickering light from the spilled oil fires. “Horus, stand at his feet. Anubis, near his chest. Sobek, guard his loins, Bastet, stand by his other side, opposite Anubis, Taweret, join me by his face. All others, please stay back, we will need to concentrate. Guardians; prepare to unify!”

Each of the Guardians placed their right hand on the shoulder of the one standing next to them except Connor, their left hands reaching out to touch Corey’s body. The Guardian Primus extended his own hands over Corey’s face as the blood pool continued to spread out across the stone surface and dripped down the sides of the altar. He wetted his lips and began to speak. “Ancient beings of the overworld and the underworld, hear me, awaken and listen to my words. Let the ties that bind us be strengthened once more; and infuse me with your power!”

The Guardian Primus began to glow, a bright white light that was edged in purple flames, the flickering tongues licking at the air around them as an unnatural wind howled through the underground chamber, the echo of ghostly voices sweeping over the gathered teenagers until it reached the altar, wrapping around the stone base. Connor continued to speak, his words falling like slabs of stone on the hard earth as he addressed Corey directly.

“O let not the pains of death which come upon thee enter into thy body!” The Primus’ eyes burned in the dim light and the purple flames lifted off his body, forming a glowing aura that arced from Guardian to Guardian until it zapped into Corey’s torso. “I command it in the name of the ancient magicks, for I am the god Tem, the first and the last, the Creator and the Destroyer, and the power which protecteth me is that which is with all the gods forever. I am He whose name is hidden, and I reclaim this soul from the depths of the underworld; as is my right as the one true creator! Osiris, let him return to life! I command it!” 

Suddenly, a pulse of purple fire exploded from Connor’s body and shot into Corey’s mouth, jolting his body with arcane sparks before the room was plunged into total darkness. A burning outline of a fiery door could be seen on the opposite wall and a ghostly spectre was dragged through the entrance by the glowing outline of the Primus until the spirit settled over Corey’s body. The lights faded and the chamber darkened once more before brightening, the copper bowls tilting upright of their own accord, oil filling them from thin air, before igniting and warming the room with their soft glow. 

 

“Ah!” Corey sat up suddenly, gasping for breath, his wounds healing in seconds. He patted himself down and then slowly looked back at Connor standing over him. The purple fire in the Primus’ eyes began to fade and his colored aura winked out as the other Ancient chimeras backed away, their heads bowed in reverence. “What the…”

“Glory to You, Tem, greatest of the gods!” Their voices echoed in eerie harmony. “Glory to You, Tem, greatest of the gods! Glory to You-”

“Err, what just happened?” Corey spoke over them as the Guardians continued chanting. He started when Parrish set himself on fire, adding his own light to that of the copper bowls. Corey grimaced as he looked down at his blood soaked clothes and then back at Connor. “You…I was…I saw-”

“That is not for the living to know.” Connor cut across him.

“But-”

“Corey!” Theo cried out, charging towards the altar. His boyfriend embraced him before he could say anything else, Theo hugging him tightly. “Oh thank, uh, thank you, Connor!”

“Yeah, I…” Corey blinked and slid off the altar, holding onto Theo as the Guardians straightened up and Connor turned away, moving to investigate one of the tunnels behind them. The chimera frowned when he noticed everyone was looking at him. “What?”

“You were dead, bro.” Josh muttered, holding his stomach, Hayden and Tracy supporting him. “But the Primus brought you back.”

“Really?” Corey glanced at Theo, seeing him nod. “Huh, I guess I…” He stopped suddenly, the final moments coming back to him. Corey turned towards Liam and glared at him. “I remember what happened now.”

“We cannot stay here.” Connor called out. “Follow me and I will take you to the surface.”

“Another time, then.” Corey whispered softly, still glaring at Liam as the werewolf squirmed uncomfortably. _You could have helped me, Stiles was in danger, but I was on the monster’s claws. That’s a choice you’re going to regret, Liam Dunbar…_

 

“I didn’t, ah! Think, ah! You’d be, ah! Up for this, oooh!” Theo grunted, punctuating each word with a long groan of pleasure as Corey slammed his cock in and out of his ass. “But damn, this is good!”

“Nothing like dying to make you feel alive, huh, Theo?” Corey grinned and gripped his boyfriend’s waist tighter and kept their pace fast and hard. “Aww, man, you’re so tight!”

“And you’re so big!” Theo replied with another moan, clenching his ass around Corey’s thickness, a gasp tumbling from his lips when the other chimera pulled out just enough to widen the fluttering ring of muscle at his entrance before sliding all the way back in. Corey was kneeling behind him on the bed, both their faces flushed, and hair wet from the shower just minutes before. But Theo hadn’t objected to the quick rim Corey had given him once he had reciprocated with a blowjob in the shower; the rapid transition to fucking was a bit of a surprise, however. “Yeah, well, I don’t, ah! I don’t normally just get up and go, oh, yeah!”

“Hmm, I don’t know, I just know I don’t want to miss a day of doing this with you!” Corey grinned and pulled Theo back against him, reaching around to join his hand with Theo’s own, both of them jerking him off as Corey held himself deep inside. “Mmh!”

“You’re close, aren’t you?”

“I can hold off…” Corey panted, bending over so he could kiss a trail along Theo’s shoulder towards his neck and face. “For a while.”

“Not a long while!” Theo laughed and ground into his boyfriend’s naval, before he rocked forward and then slammed back, pulling longing moans from Corey’s mouth. “Even if I have to get you off myself!”

“Ahhh, naughty Theo!” Corey released his cock and pulled Theo backwards until he was at the edge of the bed. He maintained their connection even as Corey slid off the bed and stood on the carpet, dragging Theo's body back into position. Instead of rapidly plugging his boyfriend as he had been doing the past few minutes, this time Corey just let his hips do the work; undulating them back and forth to thrust his precum-slick cock in and out of Theo's tight ass. "Mmmh, feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah!"

"You like this dick?"

"Oh yeah!" Theo groaned, humping the bed as Corey shifted forward, his hands pressing into the duvet near Theo's shoulders, his abs grinding against the swell of Theo's ass and the smooth hollow of his lower back. He could feel Corey's warm breath on his cheek as he half turned to look at his boyfriend. "Oh! Ah!"

"Mmh!" Corey mumbled, arching forward enough that he was able to kiss and suck at the nape of Theo's neck. A sly grin formed on Corey's face when the older chimera reached up, running his fingers through his hair at first before gripping him just tight enough to hold him there. Theo's moans were vibrations against his lips, Corey's hips bucking back and forth as he felt Theo clench around him on every stroke. Their kiss broke and Theo slumped forwards, resting his head on his crossed arms when Corey moved faster again, resuming their earlier energetic pace. "Aw, yeah, take it, Theo!"

"Mm! Ah! It feels so good!" Theo cried out, pleasure rippling across his body as Corey slammed into his prostate with each thrust. "Aw, yeah, right there!"

"Mmmh, so fucking tight!" Corey groaned, keeping as much of his dick inside Theo, adopting short, quick thrusts. He grinned as he heard his heavy, cum-filled balls bounce and slap against Theo's smooth ass, their moans mixing with the sound of their sex, driving him to new heights of pleasure. "Ah, yeah!"

"Mmmh, I love it when you plough my ass!"

"Like that?!" Corey grinned as Theo groaned louder.

"Yeah! Feels so good!"

"Mmmh, take my dick, Theo!" He groaned along with his boyfriend and adjusted his position again, this time straightening up from where he had been hunched over Theo's back. Corey kept one hand on Theo's shoulder for balance, letting the other one fall by his side as he maintained his relentless pace. But it still wasn't enough, and he brought both hands back down to glide over the swell of Theo's bubble butt, spreading the cheeks and then gripping his waist tight. "Ah, that's it!"

"Aw, pound that tight ass!" Theo groaned, glancing back at him over his shoulder, his gaze sweeping across Corey's flushed features and smooth torso down to his clenching ab muscles. "Mmmh!"

"Oh, you're so fucking hot, Theo!" Corey growled, rubbing his right hand all over Theo's back possessively and slipping his fingers around to feel his smooth pecs and wide collarbones. He slowed his rhythm right down as he felt his orgasm pulse dangerously close, rocking back and forth inside Theo's ass with just enough friction that they both remained on the edge. "Awww, that feels so good!"

"Yeah, so hot!"

"You're so tight, so fucking tight!" Corey panted, unable to resist speeding up again. Theo was lifting himself off the bed slightly, his skin flushed red as sweat gave his tanned body a sheen of glistening perfection. "Aw, yeah, oh, you're so hot, Theo!"

"Feels so good, Corey!" Theo grunted, rocking forward as he felt Corey pull his cock all the way out. His hole clenched around the empty space, the air cooling his slick pucker and crack as Corey teased his ass with his cock head, before pushing back in again. "Oooh!"

"That's how you like it, huh, Theo?!" 

"Oh, yeah!" Theo moaned, arching back into Corey's dick and stretching his arms out in front of him to try and reach the other side of the bed, tensing his biceps. "Mmmh!"

"Aw, yeah, perfect, Theo!" Corey groaned, pounding into him hard and fast as his hands rubbed up across the muscles in his back and onto Theo's outstretched arms, gripping the chimera's biceps for a moment before pulling his hands back to rest on Theo's ass. "Ahh, yeah, you ready for my huge fucking load?!"

"Yeah!" Theo grinned at him as Corey snapped his hips, driving his cock inside again. "Give it to me, Corey!"

"Oh, no, I want to see it too! This one is going all over your ass and crack and tight pucker! I'm going to make you slick and sloppy, Theo!" Corey groaned, pulling his cock out. He spread Theo's ass cheeks with one hand, the other wrapping around his dick to jerk himself off. It took a few short strokes and Theo's pleasured moans to make Corey shoot. The first rope shot low, splattering against the base of Theo's hole, but the rest of his thick, creamy load was right on target; spurting out to cover Theo's crack and gaping asshole with his cum. "Ahh, yeah!"

"Mmmh!"

"Yeah, so hot, Theo!" Corey grinned and kept jerking off to get the final drops of his cum out. He felt his dick twitch when the stream of cum slipped down the sides of Theo's slick ass crack and drip on the floor. Corey rubbed the head of his cock up and down the sloppy valley, spreading his cum around Theo's ass, before gathering some on his tip and then plunging back into Theo's begging hole. "Aww, yeah! You like that?!"

"Mmmh, yeah!"

"I bet you do!" Corey pulled back out and did a few more sloppy circuits as Theo ground against the bed and his asshole clenched tight and then loosened, repeating the motion over and over. He pushed back inside and gave Theo several long, slow strokes, contrasting with his own rapid, needy movements. "Ah, yeah, you really like that, huh? My cum is all over you and inside you!"

"Ah, Corey!" Theo clenched every muscle suddenly and rocked back into Corey's cock, impaling himself on the cum-slick dick as his own cock throbbed and jerked against the duvet. "Aw, yeah! Oh man! I'm cumming!"

"Mmh, so hot! No hands, Theo!" Corey grinned and pulled out for the last time, smirking as he watched a bead of his cum running out of Theo's slick, red-hued asshole and drip down his crack. "Damn, that was hot!"

"Phew, yeah!" Theo agreed as he rolled over, copious amounts of cum smeared all across his chest and abs. "So hot!"

"Housecleaning are _not_ gonna have a fun time tomorrow!" Corey laughed and collapsed on the bed beside him, trying to catch his breath.

"I'm so happy that you're ok, Corey." Theo whispered to him as he snuggled closer to his boyfriend. "Not sure what I'd do without you."

"That's how I feel about you, Theo." Corey tilted his head to look at him, the remainder of his words unspoken, unneeded. "Turn off the lights, will you?"

"Haha, yeah, no problem."

 

Corey blinked his eyes open, awake with no memory of the dreams he normally experienced after sex. He frowned as his hand stretched out and found nothing beside him; no Theo, no bed, nothing. A jarring moment later, the chimera realized he was standing upright, not lying down. “Ugh…” The dizziness passed and Corey became aware of a light in front of him, a familiar purple glow that seemed to be reaching out for him. The chimera walked forward and entered a shadowy room, the walls indistinct, the only solid item being a large copper bowl full of burning oil, not unlike those he had seen in the Pathologist’s chamber. Next to the bowl was the Guardian Primus, though Corey more sensed his presence than recognised him. 

Connor was clad in long, flowing robes of red and purple, links of gold visible under the cloth at his wrist and neck, his legs and feet were encased in greaves of thick black metal which gleamed with half-visible gemstones studded throughout the material. The Primus turned around slowly, glittering symbols Corey didn’t recognize were engraved all over the chimera’s armor and his handsome face was altered slightly; somehow both older and younger at the same time. His eyes burned with purple fire and there was a faint but distinct white glow that lifted off his body and hung around him like a bold outline.

“Um, hi.” Corey managed, feeling under-dressed in just the shorts he normally wore when going to sleep. “Uh, where are we?”

“You are asleep, this is a dream.” Connor explained; his voice more sonorous than it normally was. He smiled and then shrugged. “But it is also real, we are in the sacred city of Ka’narack, in the Temple of Atum.”

“Err, ok.” Corey frowned. “Why am I here? Is it because you saved me? Um, thanks, by the way.”

“You are welcome, though I would have done the same for any chimera who fought at our side against our ancient enemy.” Connor looked into the fire, continuing to speak. “Your boyfriend, Theo, he has a piece of the Overmind within him, just enough to make him of interest to us. But it is not enough for me to consider him to have as much potential as you.”

“Me? But I’m-”

“You fear you are not strong enough, that you do not have the powers that Theo and Josh and Hayden and Tracy have. That among all the chimeras created by the traitor and his fellows, that you are…unworthy.” Connor stated; his tone neutral until he glanced at Corey. “I witnessed the creation of each chimera, watched the Overmind imprint His divine power upon them. I know what qualities make for those who could serve our master for all eternity; loyalty, strength of character, belief in the chimera way, and a desire for retribution.”

“I’m not sure about belief…” Corey muttered, his mind flashing back to the battle and Liam. “But I have plenty need of revenge, I just don’t have the tools to do it.” He sighed and shook his head. “Besides, Theo wants everyone to be friends and-”

“What do you want?”

“Justice.” Corey clenched his fists and matched Connor’s purple eyes. “I want the werewolf to suffer more than just a slap on the wrist and a disappointing stare from Scott.”

“Hmm, the True Alpha might be an exception,” The Primus mused. “But I am not surprised to learn that his Beta is no different from the other dogmen we have encountered across the centuries. Join us, Corey Bryant, join us as a Guardian of the Overmind and you will have the tools to take your retribution!”

“Guardian?” Corey stared at him. “But what would that mean? Would I have to break up with Theo? Or leave my pack? Or get an animal head?!”

“If you choose to have the essence of one of the pantheon instilled in you, then partial metamorphosis is a benefit.” Connor spread his hands wide. “Though I retain my human features, so, it depends on which deity blesses you.”

“You’re a legit god, though, right?” Corey wetted his lips and came closer, gesturing at Connor’s outfit. “Theo told me about the, um, the ritual or spell or whatever that you used to bring me back. He said that you’re the creator god from the Pathologist’s story, right?”

“Will you join us, Corey?” The Primus answered his question with another question, smiling benevolently at him. “Will you take up the mantle of Guardian and join us on our eternal quest to bring ruin upon the traitor and keep the werewolf menace in check?”

Corey looked down at the shadowy floor and pursed his lips. After a moment of thinking it over, he raised his head and met the burning purple gaze of the Primus. “I’ll get power and new abilities?”

“Yes.”

“And I won’t have to leave Theo behind?”

“He carries part of the Overmind, we will always be able to find him, and soon, so will you.”

“Good enough for me.” Corey nodded and shared Connor’s smile. “Do I need to bow or anything?”

“Just…wake up!”

“Uh!” Corey sat up with a start, back in Theo’s hotel room, his boyfriend sleeping by his side. The chimera frowned, unsure if it was all just a dream as he slipped out of the bed and padded over to the bathroom. He stared at the mirror; eyes wide as a ring of purple fire blossomed around the black pupil before fading away. “Guess it wasn’t a dream…”

 

Theo folded his arms as Connor emerged from the room into the motel parking lot, Parrish walking beside him. He felt Corey tense up for a moment and then relax, Stiles, Liam, and Scott were on his other side, all standing in a semi-circle waiting for the Primus to reach them. The meeting had been Scott’s idea and to Theo’s surprise, Connor had agreed to talk to them. He cleared his throat once the duo arrived and Scott remained silent. “Um, hi.”

“Greetings.” Connor glanced at each of them, his eyes lingering on Scott. “So…what brings you here?”

“We didn’t catch the Pathologist, but you destroyed a lot of his monsters,” Scott replied, taking a step forward. “At least you got your missing chimera back. I expect you’ll be leaving soon?”

“No,” The Primus shook his head slowly. “We will not leave until I know that the traitor is gone, and then we will resume our hunt for him. But Bastet tells me that he has plans for this town, plans that involve you and your pack, Scott McCall. He has already created one monster that almost devoured the world, I will not allow the traitor to get that opportunity again.”

“But, grr.” Scott growled as Connor looked away from him. “I have questions!”

“Good, curiosity will serve you better than aggression, or blind emotion.” He looked at Liam, the werewolf staring at his feet as Corey grimaced. “But I owe you no answers, werewolf, and if our paths should cross again while my Guardians and I hunt the traitor, you would do best to stay out of our way. Our alliance is at an end; I will brook no interference in the lives of chimeras; mine or those from another creator.”

“I don’t like being threatened, and this is _our_ town, I don’t care if you are a, a, a god!” Scott struggled with the words for a moment as Connor arched his brow. “You’ll need our help and we need yours to deal with the Dread Doctors!”

“We shall see, little werewolf.” Connor turned away abruptly, and Parrish hurried after him.

“He gives me the creeps.” Stiles whispered to the others as Corey rolled his eyes.

“He’s a god, I think that’s kinda the point; you’re meant to awe and revere him.” The chimera replied, looking at Connor’s retreating back.

“Do you?” Liam blurted out, but Corey ignored him.

“Never heard of a supernatural god before,” Theo said thoughtfully. “And he saved your life, maybe we should give him a chance, huh?”

“Yup.” Corey replied, his cold eyes on Liam. “I think Connor has the measure of everyone here; the chimera god knows exactly who the monsters are, huh, Liam?”

“Uh huh.” The werewolf nodded, unable to meet Corey’s eyes. Stiles threw his arm around his shoulders and the duo started to walk away, Scott leaving a moment later after a muttered goodbye.

“This changes everything.” Corey said as Theo gestured towards his truck.

“Maybe.”

“Theo, we’re not the only chimeras. There’s a group of super-powerful ones; we’ve even got our own god!” Corey grinned, spreading his arms wide. “We’ve always been the outsiders, the _other_ pack, not anymore! Now we can-”

“Simmer down!” Theo laughed at him. “You’re beginning to sound a little power-mad there, Corey.”

“Yeah, just a little…” Corey smiled to himself as he remembered the non-dream from the night before. He turned around before hoisting himself up into the passenger’s seat to look back at where the Guardian Primus was standing in the doorway. Their eyes met with a flash of purple fire before Corey sat inside, blocking his view. “There’s something I need to tell you, Theo.”

“Oh?”

“It’s important.” Corey turned to him. “But I’ll wait until we’re at the hotel, you’ll probably have questions.”

“Ok.”

 

The Guardian Primus closed the door after Jordan and glanced at the Hellhound, “I never got to say how impressed I was by your prowess in the battle last night.”

“Oh, thanks!” Jordan grinned and crowded into his space, his hands reaching for Connor’s waist. “I can think of a way to celebrate our victory!”

“We did not win,” Connor shook his head and pulled away. “We only delayed the traitor’s work somewhat. More must be done; we must trap and capture him; only then will victory be achieved.”

“Huh.” Jordan sighed, clearly disappointed. 

“That does mean we will remain here for a while longer.”

“Huh!” Jordan grinned, “So, maybe we can have another…one-night-stand?”

“Perhaps.” The Primus shrugged, looking down at his hands. “Returning Corey to life forced me to awaken dormant powers and energies, Jordan. These are things I had put to sleep many thousands of years ago after The Gathering War. I may become different to how you remember me in the days ahead.”

“You’re still you, Connor, just as hot as ever!” Jordan replied, moving back towards him. “Cerberus and I are pretty different too, you know? Whenever he takes over, I’m still here, and thanks to you, I no longer black out when that happens. So, I’m just saying that if you want still be…something, while you’re here, I’d like that too.”

“You’re sure?”

“Well, yeah.” He smirked, handsome face lighting up. “It’s not everyday you get to sleep with a god!”

“That was for the purposes of the ritual, I needed to invoke ancient allies.” Connor grimaced uncomfortably. “I gave up most of those powers when I took human form.”

“Cool.”

“But all that was long ago, I am used to this body, the restrictions.” The Primus turned to him, holding Jordan’s gaze. “And none of it helps us in finding the traitor and putting an end to his experiments.”

“So what’s the plan?” Jordan frowned when Connor smiled at him. 

“Seek and destroy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of this story and the Pathologist arc will conclude in [An Eternity in Your Eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10398876) as told from Stiles and Liam’s perspectives. The events from this story will carry over into that one as the pack juggle dealing with the Pathologist and the shrouded agenda of the Ancient chimeras and their Guardian Primus.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this story!


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